Bruce is complaining about nukes in space again.
Nothing much new to lampoon here, just the usual conspiracy mongering and allusions to unnamed alternatives to nuclear power for deep-space missions. However, I did notice a couple of factual errors in his letter.
Local police forces were heard on National Public Radio warning the public to stay away from Columbia debris and said they were told by NASA that “radioactive” sources were on-board that mission. Just what was the radioactive source on Columbia?
Local police may or may not have claimed that there was radioactive contamination in the Columbia wreckage, but according to NASA the only radioactive material of note aboard Columbia at the time of the wreck was the less than 11 total microcuries of Americium 242 in the orbiter’s onboard smoke detectors — not enough to have caused any illness or injury. What NASA was warning people about was the presence of residual hypergolics and other chemically toxic materials (and it’s entirely possible that even that danger was deliberately overstated so as to deter would-be souvenir collectors from pocketing pieces of the debris). While Bruce is only citing hearsay and the inaccuracy is therefore not strictly speaking his, he is citing it with the implication that it is true (indeed, the question at the end of the quoted paragraph assumes the rumor is fact).
And then there’s this assertion of fact which, in fact, isn’t factual at all:
Forgive us for not believing anything our government says. But you all have no credibility. One example is Kodiak island in Alaska. The U.S. government built a rocket launch facility there and promised the citizens of Alaska that it would only be used for civilian launches, never military. But in reality the only missions that have yet been launched have been Missile Defense Agency (MDA) tests.
[emphasis mine]
The Athena-1 launch of September 30, 2001 was not a BMDO/MDA launch, but rather a joint NASA – USAF Space Test Program launch known as “Kodiak Star”, with the Picosat, Sapphire, and PCSat technology demonstrators and Starshine 3 geodetic experiment as payloads. Oops.
Gee, it’s good to see that someone who makes $12,000 a year advancing the radical proposition that the the trillions spent on military space weapons and exploration could use a little scrutiny has met his match in you guys! Put on your Luke Skywalker outfits and your honorary junior NASA patches and go heckle him, or stomp on a peace leaflet or two, o valiant defenders of the poor military industrial complex!
I have no problem with anyone scrutinizing anything, but I have more respect for scrutiny based on the facts rather than luddite handwringing and socialist cant. Why do you have a problem with my scrutinizing his scrutinizing?
I’m not sure what Bruce Gagnon’s income has to do with anything, as I have never brought it up here nor does it interest me. I try to confine my criticism to his voiced opinions and his actions in furtherance of those opinions — I don’t indulge in personal criticisms.
As for your ridiculous personal criticism of me, well, you’re way off base on all three counts — I’m not a Star Wars fan let alone one who dresses the part, and if you’ve actually read this weblog for very long, it should be fairly clear that I’m no big defender of NASA or the dreaded “military industrial complex” (what I refer to here as the Usual Suspects). I even (*gasp*) offer scrutiny of them from time to time — which is, remember, what you took it upon yourself to defend Bruce’s right to do.
At least you came down to earth a bit – and I’ll admit that I can stand to learn a great deal about all the scientific angles, which is why, instead of seeing jejeune commentary from your pals about “buffoons” and “boy, we oughta go to one of his meetings and give him the what-for,” you defense contractor types ought to have real, grown-up conversation. The table is weighted down about a trillion-times-to-one on your side, given the defense corporations, the hardware whizzing around us, the lack of any politics in America, but you do have the right to speak, and you may have points about hypocrisy, ineffectuality, and scientific reality that I, and other fairly confused citizens, could profit from. However, there is every right to tie you folks to Nazism. Read Max Hastings’ recent book on the last years of the war – Nazism was an actual form of facism, created by a “advanced western democratic civilization,” by God-believing nationalists, so any discussion of imperialism through military might should include lessons from that horrid time, which may well be applicable to your views. As for the Star Wars stuff – okay, sorry, that’s good to know, thanks T.L. – but go back and read those hilariously sinister posts about Bruce Gagnon, a very noble pamphleteer who doesn’t deserve your arch invective. Have some respect (that’s why his income matters – he is not in this to build a two-car garage in snow country). From my day’s reading of him on the web, you probably have a lot more in common with him than I do – I could give a damn about space exploration. How can we talk about going anywhere when our own planet is in such disarray? Exactly what are you folks building your weapons for? The tragedy of our time is that despite innocent intentions, or bland intentions, or just the intent to earn a paycheck, our efforts have devastating results. That goes for you folks, especially, but also for me. I understand that this post is covering a wide amount of territory in a short time, but you’ll have to excuse me – I can’t say I know your blog inside and out, and just went after the choice bits after about five minute’s reading. Good luck with your consciences, fellas – it’s a hard life when you have to contend with such rage amidst such plenty, but then, I’d probably have to plead guilty to that, too…
“However, there is every right to tie you folks to Nazism.”
Martin, I didn’t much appreciate being labeled a Nazi when Bruce Gagnon did it on his website, and I like it even less when you do it on mine.
If you want to have a grown-up conversation, you can start by dispensing with the insults.
“I could give a damn about space exploration. How can we talk about going anywhere when our own planet is in such disarray?”
Things have always been like this – and they’re better now than they’ve ever been.
We talk about going elsewhere for more than a few reaons, but they can be boiled down to
1. Exploration is what we do. The far frontier beckons.
2. Resources from out there will help out the problems down here.
3. Stagnation is death.
So Bruce Gagnon is “a very noble pamphleteer”. Huh. Since when did spreading misinformation make one noble?
To build on what Brian had to say, we’ve hardly solved all the world’s problems in the 30+ years since we killed the Apollo program. As a society, we need a frontier for its challenge as well as its resources. We spend well over $500 billion a year on education, but its tough to teach kids who don’t want to learn. The relative pittance we spend on space is certainly well spent. I’ll take a hopeful future over hand wringing any time.
If we are serious about space, we need nuclear power. It’s not a matter of convenience, but a matter of survival. Solar alone won’t cut it on Mars or beyond. As educated, thinking human beings, it is our responsibility to challenge idiocy like that spewed by the “noble” Mr. Gagnon.
Even if you “don’t give a damn about space exploration”, I bet you lose sleep at night over global warming. You wouldn’t know it by listening to Bruce’s nonsense, but nuclear power is the most environmentally friendly energy source available today (and I include solar and wind in that assessment). Nuclear would be an easy way to reduce ghg emissions and our dependence on foreign oil, if not for the astounding hypocracy of the left. (btw, I don’t work for a defense contractor — I’m an environmental engineer.)
And the next time you decide to post something “covering a wide amount of territory”, or as I would call it, “rambling”, do us the courtesy of a paragraph break now and then, Martin.
After reading my post, it looks like I’ll have to take back my very last jab. Sorry, Martin. (the rest stands) All my carefully constructed paragraphs were unceremoniously shoved together into one semi-massive rambling. Is this site run by paragraph Nazis?
It did that to my posts, as well. No idea why it’s suddenly doing it, nor how to fix it — nothing I’ve tried seems to work.