President Bush's recently-announced plan to build a settlement on the moon is an idea that appeals to the scientific explorer in me, but an article on Wired here: http://blog.wired.com/... today put it in a somewhat different light for me.
The moon could be a useful vantage point for helping to understand and protect the earth. But apparently, that is no longer part of NASA's mission.
Apparently, the mission of NASA was changed last February, undoubtedly under pressure from the administration, from a mission to "understand and protect our home planet; to explore the universe and search for life; to inspire the next generation of explorers...as only NASA can", along with a vision to "improve life here, to extend life there, to find life beyond." After the administration was done with it, the mission of NASA became to "pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery, and aeronautical research" with a vision to "advance U.S. scientific, security, and economic interests".
Note the changes here. No longer seeking to understand and protect the earth is only part of it. There is also a shift from a vision of improving life to merely advancing U.S. "security" and "economic interests". In other words, instead of science itself and the good of human life being at the core of NASA's mission, the new mission has shriveled to one of militarization and commercialization of space for the sake of perceived U.S. interests alone.
This is a huge and dangerous shift, and I don't know how I missed this earlier in the year. Of course, NASA was already trending in this direction under this administration, and militarization of space has clearly been among Bush's goals, but the formal change in NASA's mission statement is not trivial.
A base on the moon for scientific purposes for the increase of scientific knowledge and benefit of human and other forms of life could be inspiring. A base on the moon for the benefit of U.S. military and commercial interests I find more than disturbing.
We need to let our new Congress know that we noticed this change, and demand that NASA be restored to a broader purpose, including a mission to understand and protect the earth and the life upon it.