OutPost
Indiana Travels to a
Moon, Mars and Beyond public hearing.
A 4 hour drive in the misty morning of Thursday March 4th, to
Dayton Ohio at the Air
Force Museum. for a public hearing of the Moon, Mars and Beyond of the
President’s Commission on Implementation of United States Space
Exploration Policy.
The meeting is the second in a series, and the chance to be present at
an event that shows our government in action, is well worth the time.
The second day had the Air Force panels, private industry, Senator and
former Mercury astronaut John Glenn, Lennard A Fisk, Chairman of The
Space Studies Board of the National Research Council and others. I had
the chance to meet Paul D. Spudis, a Planetary Scientist at John
Hopkins University, for just a moment, at one of the few short breaks
that pointed to the fact that Chairman Pete Aldridge does seem to lead
a timely hearing.
This second
meeting had 30 minutes in the time line for general public comments.
While I saw only 20 or so slips in the bowl of people wanting an chance
for a two minute slot, the luck of the lottery of 12 others, kept me on
the sidelines.
One item that struck me the most, was Hewlett Packards Chairwoman and
CEO Carleton Fiorina’s comment and question on the concern of of
some citizens when the military gets involved in any endeavor. The
answer given, in general, was that the Air Force and the military
have many existing treaties in place, that are in effect with
certain rules and law that the military must use in their every
day discussion making process. The other part of the answer was in
part to be strong and in the lead of technology, in order to be a
good protector. I very much liked the comments of the panel, as I grew
up in the sixties on SAC Air force bases and watched as my Dad worked
to keep the electrical systems of the B-52 bombers in flight ready
condition. The words Peace and Freedom surrounded us.
As I looked upon the commission members as
they listened to the witnesses, I wondered if they shared one thought I
had. On Wednesday March 3rd while I was at ASI/MOO (on
another rained out work day). Michael Mealling had a twiki page
showing his comments as he watched the 1st day of the hearing. I could
not see the hearing, but could only read Michael’s comments. The one
that explained part of what I saw the second day, was the word
infomercials. In this just in time, not much time to prepare world, the
witnesses had very little time to prepare their testimony. Yet what I
noticed of some, but not all, was a presentation based more on who and
what we are, and why we want to be included in any government big
ticket spending program. Rather than what the charter of
this commission was asking for, answers to the Presidents questions. As
a private citizen I wondered how they all planned to spend some part of
our tax dollars.
Maybe those of us who are more interested in the use of private
commercial ventures may yet get a chance to to get a word in at one of
the remaining
hearings.
John R. Schrock is in the building industry, a team leader and board
member in The Moon Society,
and A Scout Leader in central Indiana. And in the process of being a OutPost of the Moon Society.
Archived from the original announcement: http://frigoris.moonsociety.org/www.moonsociety.org/news/MMB-Dayton-2004-03-04-ms.html