Earthrise on the moon: Shall we go together ... or apart?  

 

 

NRC Handelsblad, The Netherlands

Travel To Moon and Stars is What Humanity Needs

 

"Cooperation is the only way to realize such a monumental project and is far preferable than a fragmented race. ... the adventure itself will generate optimism and faith in progress. And in these times, that is something this planet badly needs."

 

EDITORIAL

 

Translated By Meta Mertens

 

July 20, 2009

 

The Netherlands - NRC Handelsblad - Original Article (Dutch)

The first man on the moon, Neil Armstrong, makes a rare public statement on the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, July 21, 2009.   C-SPAN VIDEO: Apollo 11 crew members Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Edwin 'Buzz' Aldrin talk about their experiences landing on the moon, July 20, 01:29:19

There are already enough anniversaries, but astronaut Neil Armstrong's first step on the moon on July 20th, 1969 is well worth remembering. These days, U.S. President Obama is considering if and how the space shuttle program, scheduled to end next year, should be continued. A renewed manned mission to the moon is the goal of the proposed Constellation Program. It was initiated five years ago by Obama’s predecessor, George W. Bush. The current president is far less enthusiastic. Next month, a special committee appointed by him will offer its advice.

 

Space travel costs lots of money. For example, by the time the international space station is completed, the investment will have been about $100 billion (over €70 billion). Initiated by President Kennedy in 1961, the Apollo program came to a standstill in the early seventies right after the first steps on the moon. Forty years later, the idea that humankind would get around to travelling to other planets in the solar system seems a fantasy. And for the time being it will remain so; the complexity of manned space exploration is much greater than first anticipated.

Posted by WORLDMEETS.US

 

Why than return to the moon? This celestial body lends itself to many practical and scientific purposes; as a telescope on the dark “backside” to a good location for communications stations, mining rare compounds like helium-3 and further research into to the history of the origins of the solar system.

 

Many of those projects can be achieved even without manned flights. Yet, human spaceflight is a worthy end in itself. The moon can serve as a way station to the next major goal - a manned mission to Mars. Even the utility of this can be questioned: Scientifically, Mars is very interesting, but why would human beings have to visit the planet in person? The costs are astronomical and the technical challenges enormous.

 

But perhaps the question of utility isn't relevant here. Science is about the acquisition of knowledge for its own sake. In a far distant future, humanity will risk journeying to nearby planets and perhaps beyond. The foundation for this journey have to be built, so why not now?

 

There is an additional advantage: the costs will be phenomenal - and impossible to bear for a single country - for current superpower the United States or any of the other powers of the multilateral world of tomorrow. Cooperation is the only way to realize such a monumental project and is far preferable than a fragmented race. Besides, in this case Europe will also have a role to play.

 

But above all, it is the challenge itself. A strong dose of optimism is required to risk the journey into space. But the adventure itself will generate optimism and faith in progress. And in these times, that is something this planet badly needs.

 

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[Posted by WORLDMEETS.US July 26, 7:30pm]