Transcript Mormonism’s Promised Land: Zion, America, and the Quest

Roger D. Launius
National Air and Space Museum
Smithsonian Institution
The Moon as a Target for Human
Exploration
• Moon captures the fancy of humankind.
– The most dominant and changeable element in
the night sky.
– Kindles enthusiasm, joy, lust, fear, and horror.
– Often associated with dieties and supernatural
activities.
• Moon fundamental part of modern popular
culture.
• Moon early target for U.S./USSR space
programs.
The Apollo Decision
• Project Apollo was in large
measure a result of Cold War
rivalry
• JFK announcement, May 25,
1961
• “I believe this Nation should
commitment itself to achieving
the goal, before this decade is
out, of landing a man on the
moon and returning him safely
to earth. No single space
project in this period will be
more impressive to mankind, or
more important for the longrange exploration of space; and
none will be so difficult or
expensive to accomplish.”
Coalition Politics and Project
Apollo
•
•
•
•
•
National security space community
Spaceflight enthusiasts
Aerospace industry
Partisan Politicians
Scientific community interested in Moon
program for research purposes
IS RUSSIA AHEAD OF THE U.S. IN SPACE?
100
90
80
Percent (%)
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Oct-57 Aug-58 Dec-59 Dec-60 May-61 Aug-62 Feb-63 Jun-63 May-64 Jun-65
Yes
No
Don't Know
Jul-89
May-91
0.0
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
TQ
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
NASA Budget as a Percentage of Federal Budget
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT FUND HUMAN TRIPS TO THE MOON?
100
Percentage of the American Public (%)
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
Jun- Feb- Oct61
65
65
Jul67
Apr70
Jul79
Favor
Jul94
Jul95
Oppose
Jun99
Jul03
Dec- Jan03
04
Jul04
Public Support for Apollo
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
1962
1963
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
Apollo Worth Cost
Approve of Apollo
Spending Too Much on Space
1970
1971
1972
The Pervasive Power of Project Apollo
Robotic Missions to the Moon
• Soviet Union undertook three
missions to Moon in 1970s,
including one sample return,
Luna 21-24.
• Clementine, 1994, mapped
surface in greater detail than
anything previously.
• Lunar Prospector, 1998, oneyear mission to determine if
water ice was buried inside
the lunar crust.
Rationales for Spaceflight
•
•
•
•
•
Scientific Discovery and Understanding
National Security
Economic Competitiveness
Human Destiny/Survival of the Species
National Prestige/Geopolitics
Making the Moon a Second Home
• Space Task Group Report, 1969.
– Post-Apollo program that included
•
•
•
•
Space Shuttle.
Space Station.
Moon base.
Human expedition to Mars.
– Nixon approved Space Shuttle, January 1972.
• Space Exploration Initiative, July 20, 1989.
– Moon base.
– Human expedition to Mars.
– Died by 1991 because of $400B price tag.
Opportunities in the 2004 Vision
for Space Exploration
 Establish multiple space communities in the
Earth-Moon system.
 Evolve a viable outer space commerce market.
 Create value and meaning for humankind in
space.
 Understand dynamics between living entities and
universe.
 Develop symbiotic relationships between humans
and intelligent machines.
Challenges for Return to the Moon
• Ensure public support—
political will.
• Build on initial
experiences; broaden
international activities.
• Emphasize military, civil,
and commercial operations
in Earth orbit as part of the
pathway to lunar
operations.
• Interweave exploration,
science, technology
development, commerce,
and infrastructure
development.
If spending had to be cut on federal programs,
which two federal program(s) do you think the
cuts should come from? (Harris Poll 4/10/2007)
Program
Total %
Republican %
Democrat %
Independent %
Space program
51
44
58
49
Welfare
28
43
18
29
Defense spending
28
8
45
28
Farm subsidies
24
29
25
22
Environmental
programs
16
30
7
14
Homeland Security
12
3
14
21
Transportation
11
16
9
9
Medicaid
4
6
3
2
Education
3
4
1
2
Social Security
2
3
*
2
Medicare
1
2
*
1
We Must return to the Moon, if only
to Demonstrate that We Can