US needs new deep-space Agency, Apollo astronaut says
December 11, 2012
Astronaut Harrison Schmitt collects lunar rake samples during an Apollo 17 moonwalk in December 1972 (credit: NASA)
The U.S. should create a new agency dedicated to manned exploration of the moon, Mars and other destinations in deep space, says former Apollo astronaut Harrison Schmitt, Space.com reports.
Schmitt suggests the new agency be called the National Space Exploration Administration.
The new deep-space agency should “stay young, and develop a management structure that is not so hierarchical — that is actually a flat, level management structure so young ideas can reach the top very quickly,” added Schmitt.
Comments (23)
by Ian Clarke
Ever so slightly off topic, but…
RIP Sir Patrick Moore
Not sure if many have heard of him outside of the UK, but he was a well-loved eccentric whose love of astronomy inspired generations. He had the longest running TV series in the world (hosted by the same presenter): BBC’s “The Sky at Night”. I was lucky enough to speak to him on the phone when I was 10 years old. We spoke for about 10 mins, and it would have been longer but I simply ran out of things to ask him. :-)
A truly lovely bloke.
by Mr.X
@Ian: I think I once saw a picture of him with a cat that made him look like some villian out of James Bond;)
by Ian Clarke
Ah yes, and he was probably wearing his monocle too, which would have completed the villainous look. :-)
by Bri
I recommend David Adair’s book, A Fall From Space. His company works to commercialize what NASA has learned. He is an outside and vocal critic of NASA’s waste and lost promises. His company tries to realize the dreams we have for space, and he illustrates a more pragmatic approach.
by GAUSS
It’d be great to see a full alliance of private space companies (SpaceX, etc.) form a real market for it. A market is slowly developing, but the more players in the game, the more it will develop (for better or worse).
by Gene Tackett
There are areas of science and exploration that are more important than the profits of individual corporations or divisions of industry. They can impact mankind or the earth as we know it. Some are called dreamers, but the idealism of science calls us to stretch the boundaries of human knowledge to the beyond. Columbus sought and received the financial backing of the government of his day to prove his theory that China could be reached by sailing west. Much of his knowledge about navigation and astronomy was acquired during his time in Portugal where the monarch (Prince Henry) had gathered scientist, mathematicians, navigators and astronomers to codify the knowledge of that time so the exploration of the world could be accomplished. All government funded. Columbus never reached China, but discovered an unknown continent that provided great wealth for Spain and changed mankind and the earth forever. This argument is simple, but I say that the science of exploring the beyond is one of the things our government should be doing.
by Whittaker
Thank you for your insight, Gene.
I think, in today’s world, corporations will have great potential too. Governments will not be the only players.
by Chris Lasdauskas
Most of what you say is true, Gene, but there is one little problem: Since about the time Apollo finished, your government has been doing precious little exploration for it’s expenditure. Most of the effort/money seems to go into ‘programs’ designed to buy votes.
by GAUSS
Great post, Gene. Thanks
by Spacerocks1
I assume Schmidt is suggesting a new agency hoping to speed up the implementation of commercial space development. If the U.S. does something like this, we should make Lori Garver, the current NASA Deputy Administrator, the head of it. She at least came from a grass-roots organization dedicated to the human settlement and commercial development of space: the National Space Society.
by Sara Peterson
No we don’t need private companies ripping off taxpayer money for the gazillionth time. Republicratian oligarchian plutocrats need to be rounded up and shot.
by Robert Brown
I respectfully disagree with your statement.
by Whittaker
Once the first asteroid mining operation becomes successful, no one will need to rip off tax dollars.
by Scott V. Brown
Don’t tell me the odds.
Don’t tell me what I can’t do or what you think I can’t do.
It is time to just do it.
Say YES.
WE are running out of time.
Do something.
I’d follow Jack anywhere, anytime.
Let’s Go.
by Michael Ulis
Or reform NASA! Of course neither is going to happen in a country where the Congress staffs the science committees with scientific illiterates like Todd Akin. Also, since I’m whining please don’t refer to the ideas as “young”. Rather, call them “fresh”. I’m 65 and have plenty of “young” ideas.
by IONEiodreams@deeplistening.org
Here, here- important observation relating to the use of the term “young”!
by Gorden Russell
Ya gotta love Schmitt for his idealism, but he obviously hasn’t been reading the news or even switching on the TV at 6:30 p.m.
The government is heading for something called “the Fiscal Cliff.” The Republicans want to cut taxes and to cut Social Security and Medicare.
There is just no way to get the money out of the government right now, not with a hostile majority of Republicans in the House of Representatives.
by pt
I should hope everyone wants to cut Social Security, considering it’s the most broken system ever. Investing your entire life at roughly 0% return? It’s a complete waste of resources that could otherwise be intelligently invested to create significant economic growth, as well as a meaningful retirement fund. It’s simply a safety net incentive for people to not learn how to manage their income, yet another hand holding program that has the opposite effect than intended.
by GAUSS
Ultimately I think the technologies on the horizon combined with a revised capitalism (capping monopolies a little better) will get us more wealth than we can imagine right now. This “Fiscal Cliff” is just a blip in this story. The whole world has a stake in the upcoming developments, and there will be plenty to go around.
by GatorALLin
Love this way of thinking……. what if all systems were designed so that the best ideas could rise through the system faster? Nature does this already, but takes too long between generations. What if the best idea wins?
It used to be giant companies were the only ones to create great ideas… the best ideas took lots of money, time and lots of people working on it. Plus that idea may get stuck somewhere in that massive system. Maybe the idea is not in the best interest of that manager, or company. Imagine how many meetings it took to get good ideas out? Are patents the best way to protect ideas (maybe for a company or individual, but maybe not for the idea itself). What is best for the idea? What if anyone/everyone could contribute, what if the best idea could be shared at the very earliest stages? These older systems of hierarchy are about protecting those people that have been there the longest, or have the most power, but is that always the best for a new idea? Unions are there to protect the single worker instead of protect the company, but in some cases they become the bully they were designed to ward off…
what if we are the problem… and need to get out of the way…. or hard to think about giving up control to let the idea have the power… love this new way of thinking about what is best for the idea vs. what is best for me.
by Daniel
No, we don’t need another government agency! We need private companies doing the exploring and exploiting…not taxpayers funding another inefficient gravy train for gov’t bureaucrats.
by René Milan
No, we need both. It’s fine to shoot billionaires on joyrides, and that will accelerate knowledge accumulation and technology development, and may actually get us to Titan one day. But where, or better when, is the ROI on extrasolar travel ?
by Roland
> We need private companies doing the exploring and exploiting…
Not going to happen any time soon. Anything space means shitloads of money upfront and many years of no profit.
Ever heard of internet? That was in the making for 24 YEARS before it became available for business and people in general. After that people started making money with it but in the years before it cost a lot of money. Space is worse than that.