On Aug 22, 4:08*pm, |"
wrote:
On Aug 20, 5:37*pm, giveitawhirl2008
wrote:

http://1mmph.yolasite.com/Ihave started a crude but functional
website, plus discussion group, 4 the Million Mile MPH Spacecraft.
Just starting, but up and running. Need to run now; will respon back
here, also, ASAP.

Note: Let's get the public to get Congress to take human space
exploration REAL seriously! (Click the link.)

I generally agree. A project or series of project for ever better
means of propulsion would be a good thing for NASA or another
research body. Space needs to be practical to be economic
and that means better means of propulsion. Larger faster ships
would solve many of the problems of space travel. More shielding
and enough size to have the ship spin to generate a replacement
for gravity would help keep the traveler healthy.

Thanks for your response. As you might guess, I have irregular
internet interactions. In fact, I just noticed I did not even manage
to get one my OWN messages to my "One Million MPH" discussion group.
Guess I need to learn more about how Google Groups works!

I would like to have core, meaningful discussion of 1MMPH-type
proposals reflected on that group, as kind of a blog or public forum
related to the website. I am working on this in little bits and pieces
over time. (I'll plan to pull in good messages [for and against!] from
these other Google Groups discussions into the forum "One Million MPH"
and onto the website http://1mmph.yolasite.com/ .

I understand a.) the current economic and U.S. government fiscal
problems point away from this 1MMPH idea for now, and b.) economically
conservative thinking is against any "unnecessary" big gov't spending.

As to a.) : But I'm looking long term. Can the public be informed and
eventually intrigued and excited about this, years and decades down
the road, as the economy goes up and down as it always has?

As to b.) : I'll try to keep unnecessary politics out of this (at
least as to my own posts) but of course, getting the public to get
Congress to do something is automatically political. I trend
conservative myself but do not wish to offend nor exclude anyone from
this 1MMPH discussion and project. It's not about party politics. In
fact, BOTH major parties tend to minimize the importance of space.
But, even as a conservative myself, I say:


The Apollo program, as I recall, pretty much had bipartisan support.
At that time, as I've read, NASA got 4% of the federal budget! Can you
imagine if NASA had that same percentage, today?

Why did NASA and Apollo get such massive funding if conservatives are
against big gov't? Because Apollo was a MILITARY, COLD WAR project!

But the effects of the Apollo program went beyond beating the Russians
in the race to the Moon to win that Cold War psychology battle. One of
these "side" effects was the set of technological spinoffs that
included invention of the microchip. That, in effect, seeded the
creation of a whole new, dynamic set of industries: the home-computer
and other chip-based-device industries! This in turn has helped up the
quality of life for people in general, including the fact that these
chips are the basis of many important medical devices.

If we forge ahead with the kind of technological development and
achievements that would be inherent in developing a high-speed solar
system exploration capability, one can expect this kind of thing to
happen again: major new technological breakthroughs that help, and may
even CREATE NEW, industry!

FURTHER: MILITARY technology is likely to benefit! This brings up the
significant issure of allowing participation in this project by Russia
and China. We all want the Cold War to NOT return, but the main danger
is the lack of democracy in, and responsibility of, the governments of
those nations whom we stood against in the original Cold War: Russia
and China. Of these two, Russia is much further along the road to real
democracy and responsibility, but it is NOT THERE, yet!

But I am not mainly trying to discuss Cold War politics, here. I just
want to stress that MILITARY TECHNOLOGY would be greatly enhanced by
this 1MMPH effort. Can you imagine, for example, the weapons systems
that could come about due to both the propulsion and shielding R&D of
a one million mph spacecraft?

Another side benefit of Apollo that would be repeated: the creation of
hundreds of thousands of jobs!

So, if the IMMPH effort is viewed as, in part, a military/national
security technology booster, then maybe both conservatives and
liberals can understand its worth.

But, again, as I've said elsewhe the MAIN thing that people love
about the Apollo program when they remember it:

WOW! HUMAN BEINGS SET FOOT ON ANOTHER WORLD!

OFF THE CHART ****COOL!*****
********