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Ad
Astra
Volume 14, Number 2 March/April 2002
Launch
Pad
Back to the Moon?
Of Course!
By Kirby Ikin
This issue of Ad Astra highlights
one of the more crucial goals of our human space program: the need to send astronauts
once again beyond earth orbit. It is still unbelievable to think that we have
not continued lunar exploration since the 1972 Apollo 17 flight, and in fact
have allowed our heavy lift and space vehicle development programs to atrophy.
Today, flights to the Moon — or beyond — for astronauts can only be
seen in the movie theater or on cable TV.
This says a lot — but not about the astronauts. It says a lot about us.
All of us in the so-called pro-space community spend too much time arguing amongst
ourselves and too little time explaining the real benefits of advanced space
flight to the public. People today see little reason to urge their political
leaders to build permanent structures on the lunar surface. Structures like
colonies and research facilities. While the politicians point their emphasis
elsewhere, we must redouble our efforts at explaining why such space flights
will benefit our economy and our security. While we make greater efforts at
advocacy, let’s also continue to lay down plans and develop engineering
and management pathways to future colonies and science stations on the Moon.
This issue of Ad Astra will be a keepsake until the day when all of our joint
efforts result in another visionary national — or international —
effort at truly exploring space. By returning to the Moon. And returning to
stay.
Build a Better Booster and we can go anywhere we want!
Frank Sietzen
If we truly want to send astronauts beyond earth orbit in the not-so-distant
future, we had better be working on a new generation of launch vehicle to get
them there. And our existing fleet of boosters and upper stages need a new tech
edge, too. In this issue, we address the complex subject of better boosters
in a package of articles that run the full range. And even bigger dreams, like
Mars missions, can be accessed by such new ideas at space propulsion as the
radical new rocket under design at Johnson Space Center. New engines, tanks,
fuels, and methods of sending payloads — cargoes and peoples — are
the subject of part 1 of this special issue. Part 2 gives the plans for lunar
colonies, lunar exploration entrepreneurs like LunaCorp., and even ways to make
moon concrete from soils. I agree with Kirby — let’s get back to where
we belong: exploring the Solar System, starting with Luna! Ad Astra!