Dream, pragmatically

Ted Forte

November 26, 2012

If only our resources were limitless ... But they are not. Dreams must be tempered. I think the two most important goals to pursue are: 1. Concentrate on the mechanics of global defense. There will come a day when we find our planet in the path of a killer asteroid. Our chances of survival will be dependent on early detection, on what we've learned about the composition of asteroids, and on the technologies we've developed to alter the path of an orbiting body. 2. Promote commercialization of space. I think the history of exploration and colonization here on earth demonstrates that commercial enterprise will be the driving force behind truly large scale endeavors in space. I think The Planetary Society should be focused toward progressing these two goals. I share the dreams that my fellow TPS members have expressed , in fact, I have yet to read here of an idea or fantasy that doesn't titillate my imagination and magnify my longing. If we survive, and if we find the resources and the economic incentive to explore and colonize, we will eventually do most, if not all of what is on our wish lists.

Comments:

Andy: 11/26/2012 04:24 CST

Search For Life The search for life should be the prime focus of the Planetary Society. If we find it it will change our notions about how the universe works, what our place in it is and of course spur on tremendous interest in the space program which includes badly needed funding! The search will move forward on a few different levels. 1. Continue funding SETI Research but expand it to search optically, infrared and in other ways including scouring our moon for any tell tale signs of alien visitations in the past. 2. Let's get moving on missions to likely abodes of life in our solar system. Mars, Europa, Encaladeus etc. and develop instruiments that can go and find it. 3. We must start developing much quicker modes of propulsion for our spacecraft. Once we do that we can start considering interstellar missions to the Alpha Centauri System and others. These things will happen in the not too distant future, but we need to start laying the foundation now, If not, the future will be forever out of our reach.