Building a ship in the desert: Just say No to the proposed Earth-

> Date: Thu, 12 Dec 2002 09:03:47 -0500
> proposed Earth-Moon L1 station
>
> Some of you may receive the Moon Miners' Manifesto, a
> periodical of the
> Moon Society. Recently there have been some articles
> advocating NASA's
> plans for a space station located at the Earth-Moon L1
> Lagrangean point.
>
> I think that implementing such an idea would be a terrible
> mistake.

Actually, the L1 plans make more budgetary, technological & political sense
than most of the alternatives on offer.

It can basically be flown with the off-the-shelf systems (unlike the Lunar &
Martian alternatives, which require heavy re-investment in landing
technology); is instantly adaptable to expansion as a means for exploring
the near Earth asteroids; & side-bars all of the divisive attacks between
the Lunar & Mars advocates on which of their potential targets deserve the
most pork.

The Moon Society is out of line here (as indeed is the Mars Soc, which has
made similar yelps); because - if properly funded (admittedly a huge caveat)
- this proposal looks a winner.

Live in peace
Robert.Clements@...
endeavour2 project http://www.geocities.com/robtclements/endeavour2.html>