Where We're Going: Two Opinions

What does Russia plan to do in outer space?, Opinion, RIA-Novosti

“In mid-April, the Energia management, which has completely different plans, unveiled a concept of the national manned space-flight program for the next 25 years. This document states expressly that the initial stage of the manned lunar program will involve Soyuz spacecraft, Soyuz-FG and Proton launch vehicles and DM-type boosters. Energia officials said that the ISS’ Russian segment should be used to assemble an inter-orbital space complex bound for the Moon, and that this approach would make it possible to launch the first lunar expeditions in the near future.”

Mission to nowhere, Opinion, The Australian

“This is the pub where NASA’s astronauts come to play after a hard day of mission training. It is therefore one of the few places where they can talk frankly and freely about what has gone right – and wrong – with America’s space program. But lately NASA might be relieved that it cannot hear the Budweiser-fueled rantings of its astronauts.”

Reader note re: “Mission to Nowhere” “Keith: Yet another opinion piece that attempts to consign the shuttle program to the purgatory of banality by deliberately omitting any mention of the awesome (I use the adjective very deliberately) advances in astronomical knowledge brought about by the missions that deployed or serviced orbiting observatories. Every time I read one of these slanted, vacuous rants, I just want to scream.”

Reader note re: “Mission to Nowhere” “I was wondering if you noticed on the sidebar of the opinion piece from the Australian newspaper “Mission to Nowhere” that they reversed the Challenger and Columbia accidents. How can you have an informed opinion on the space program if you cannot get your facts straight?”