First Woman on the Moon

While watching sports recently there was something during the commercials that had some female astronauts speaking for some reason [seems like a corporation sponsored it, not NASA] and one of the women said something about looking forward to the first woman on the moon. This was the first time I'd heard that we were even going back to the moon. 


Though maybe we all should be happy about seeing women in the space program, after all eventually we'll need both sexes there if we are going to colonize Mars or elsewhere, yet sure enough NASA has me suspecting [yet again] they've decided that they are going to cover up the shame of having manned exploration stuck in Low Earth Orbit for 47 years by running a politically correct space program. 


I'd like to celebrate the recent "first all-women spacewalk" as a remarkable thing due to the coincidence that the most qualified astronauts for the task happened to be two women, but looking at news reports it is clear that NASA has lusted for that particular headline for some time now, and finding it to prove difficult due to spacesuit problems. So we are left to just be cheerleaders for the PC notoriety if that's what floats your boat. 


I'd like to see a return to the moon as part of the plan to get to Mars, so I guess I can't let the way NASA irritates me with these PC things get in the way of my own enthusiasm. In fact maybe they are smarter than I realize and will get funding for the moon part anyway by promising this first woman on the moon. Googling for information about it I found to be a bit difficult, but after trying this and that I found that the program is called Artemis. The program has gotten as far as having the Senate work in appropriations that are not approved yet by the House. 


One thing is clear though: they are telling these female astronauts that there is going to be a first woman on the moon soon enough. 


https://www.nasa.gov/specials/artemis/

I see little wrong with the "shame" of low earth orbit. It took what, 100 years from discovery to real colonization of the New World? Much has to be figured out before doing more. The USA moonshot will be judged by history same as early Viking sailors reaching North America. IOW, a great discovery, but not much could be done with what was discovered.

The real value of the moonshot was all the spinoffs. They gave the USA a tech edge for a generation. Cordless drills to intensive care to MRI scans to 1,000 other things. It is why we do "pure" research instead of "applied" research. Bell Labs used to lead in pure research. It was a deal to keep the phone monopoly. We would do well to call in Google and Facebook and get them to take up the challenge. But I digress.

Colonization I do not see happening in our lifetimes. A return to the moon will not give value like the first time. Unlike the New World, there is nothing much up there to exploit. What there is would have to have huge value to cover the cost. And the PC thing is a huge problem. It used to be NASA made headlines for doing things. Now the headline is the same thing was done by someone with the right skin tone or body parts.

Talk about a yawner topic. Do
people care that much about
a woman on the moon? They've
been in space for decades, so
it's the moon, so what. Watch,
she'll be a giant hero and an
inspiration to millions. Yawn.

Quote: Evenbob

Talk about a yawner topic. Do
people care that much about
a woman on the moon? They've
been in space for decades, so
it's the moon, so what. Watch,
she'll be a giant hero and an
inspiration to millions. Yawn.

When this stuff happens many women get excited and few men bother to notice. Just like kids books showing girls doing "boy things." Some girls like them, no boys care, so few books get sold.

Quote: Evenbob

Talk about a yawner topic. Do
people care that much about
a woman on the moon?

They are more than 50 % of the voting public. Voting public influences funding the space program.

That's the totally cynical view, but I figure you'd understand that one best.

Woman are too emotional to go to the moon.

Quote: pew

Woman are too emotional to go to the moon.

Let's send them all to the moon.

Quote: rxwine

That's the totally cynical view, .

No it's not. Women are in every
other position except the
Catholic priesthood. So one
goes to the moon, whoop de
do. I can't believe anybody
cares.

Quote: Evenbob

No it's not. .

Yes it is.

The non-cynical view is it's a step for equality, or some higher ethical purpose.