Space Quote: Message in a Bottle to the Universe

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Golden Record placed on Voyager I and II. (NASA)

“This Voyager spacecraft was constructed by the United States of America. We are a community of 240 million human beings among the more than 4 billion who inhabit the planet Earth. We human beings are still divided into nation states, but these states are rapidly becoming a single global civilization.

We cast this message into the cosmos. It is likely to survive a billion years into our future, when our civilization is profoundly altered and the surface of the Earth may be vastly changed. Of the 200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, some–perhaps many–may have inhabited planets and spacefaring civilizations. If one such civilization intercepts Voyager and can understand these recorded contents, here is our message:

This is a present from a small distant world, a token of our sounds, our science, our images, our music, our thoughts, and our feelings. We are attempting to survive our time so we may live into yours. We hope someday, having solved the problems we face, to join a community of galactic civilizations. This record represents our hope and our determination, and our good will in a vast and awesome universe.”

–Statement by then President Jimmy Carter in July 29, 1977 that was placed in both Voyager I and II, both of which are now barreling beyond our solar system. Voyager II was launched on August 20, 1977 followed by Voyager I on September 5, 1977.

Space Quote: The Workings of Our Sun

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Artist’s rendering of NASA’s Parker Solar Probe approaching the Sun. (NASA)

“Flying this close to the Sun is a historic moment in humanity’s first mission to a star…By studying the Sun up close, we can better understand its impacts throughout our solar system, including on the technology we use daily on Earth and in space, as well as learn about the workings of stars across the universe to aid in our search for habitable worlds beyond our home planet.”

–Statement by Nicky Fox, who leads the Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington, in reference to NASA’s Parker Solar Probe recent flyby of the Sun.

Space Quote: Questions about the Space Launch System

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): NASA’s Space Launch System on the tarmac. (NASA)

“To be clear, we are far from anything being settled, but based on what I’m hearing it seems at least 50-50 that Nasa’s Space Launch System rocket will be canceled.”

-Comment by US space journalist Eric Berger as quoted in an article from The Conversation titled “Trump May Cancel NASA’s Powerful SLS Moon Rocket—What That Would Mean for Elon Musk and the Future of Space Travel.” The bottom line in the story is that SpaceX is not ready to replace the main component of the Artemis program, meaning any attempt to scrap the rocket will most likely scrap U.S. attempts to get back to the Moon before the Chinese.

Space Quote: A Rolls Royce on the Moon?

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Image (Credit): Artist’s rendering of a lunar base. (NASA)

“We believe once governments and the Artemis missions have re-established human presence on the moon, commercial services will follow that…every operation on the moon will require power”.

-Statement by Jake Thompson, director of novel nuclear and special projects at Rolls-Royce, in a Financial Times article. Rolls Royce is working on a micro nuclear reactor for use on space missions.

Space Quote: NASA Prepares for Outside “Help”

Posted on by onespaceman2000
Credit: Image by Patrick Pascal Schauß from Pixabay

“Elon’s interest in small government exceeds Elon’s interest in space architecture…The challenges, I think, NASA faces are much more organizational and cultural than they are technical.”

–Statement by Greg Autry, who is currently associate provost for space commercialization and strategy at the University of Central Florida, but earlier served on the first Trump administration’s NASA transition team. The comment was in reference to the recent announcement that Elon Musk was one of the individuals selected to head the new ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ in the Trump administration. Of course, given that Mr. Musk’s SpaceX provides the space architecture, I doubt personal enrichment will be far from his mind. I hope the first thing the new “department” does is set up an ethics office to ensure its members are not lining their own pockets while “reforming” government.