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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe GOP actually wants to fund some science......If it concerns asteroids!
From Politico: Lawmakers: Not spacey to study asteroids:
Rep. Lamar Smith on Friday called for hearings on space science and exploration, following the aftermath of the meteor that landed and an asteroid making its close fly-by of Earth.
Developing technology and research that enable us to track objects like Asteroid 2012 DA14 is critical to our future, said the Texas Republican, who is also chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, in his committee statement. We should continue to invest in systems that identify threatening asteroids and develop contingencies, if needed, to change the course of an asteroid headed toward Earth. Todays events are a stark reminder of the need to invest in space science."
Developing technology and research that enable us to track objects like Asteroid 2012 DA14 is critical to our future, said the Texas Republican, who is also chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, in his committee statement. We should continue to invest in systems that identify threatening asteroids and develop contingencies, if needed, to change the course of an asteroid headed toward Earth. Todays events are a stark reminder of the need to invest in space science."
The vice chairman of the committee, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.), echoed the chairmans words saying that this should serve as a wake-up call.
We have been spending millions to find and track asteroids and comets, but the indications are that this one was so small that we arent even looking for objects of this size, Rohrabacher said in his own statement. What concerns me even more, however, is the fact that we have no plan that can protect the Earth from any comet or asteroid. So, even if we find one that will hit us, we might not be able to deflect it.
We have been spending millions to find and track asteroids and comets, but the indications are that this one was so small that we arent even looking for objects of this size, Rohrabacher said in his own statement. What concerns me even more, however, is the fact that we have no plan that can protect the Earth from any comet or asteroid. So, even if we find one that will hit us, we might not be able to deflect it.
However, the fact remains that space science has a tight budget that will not permit for these ventures. Committee aides told POLITICO that the committee hopes to tackle that problem in future hearings.
In other words, don't get your hopes up for any major funding changes to NASA. The blogger known as 'Hunter' at Daily Kos concurs:
There's no word on whether Rohrabacher and Smith are proposing that Republicans acquiesce to spending any more money to the shriveled NASA, or whether they instead just plan to call hearings to berate NASA as to why they haven't pulled some money out of their one remaining couch for comet-busting. But let's just go with it, all right? If the only way we can get back into space is because of an abject fear over the destruction of the planet, sure, we'll take it. It'd be nice to see the same urgency applied to rising sea levels that threaten to take out a good chunk of our nice beachfront property, but you can't nuke tides, so we're probably on our own on that one.
No word yet from "Science is lies from the Pit of Hell" GOP rep. Paul Broun.
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The GOP actually wants to fund some science......If it concerns asteroids! (Original Post)
LongTomH
Feb 2013
OP
oh08dem
(339 posts)1. Why would they want to protect Earth from an asteroid or commet
that would go against God's will, or so it would seem.
If you believe the earth is only 6,000 years old, dinosaurs lived with humans, dinosaurs were aboard Noah's Ark, ect. wouldn't a giant life-threatening commet/asteroid be a sign from God that he/she has had enough and is ready to retire.
L0oniX
(31,493 posts)2. No ...silly DU member ...not "asteroids" ... hemorrhoids! n/t
Zambero
(8,954 posts)4. Shouldn't hemorrhoids have been called as(s)teroirds all along?
Haven't heard anyone complain about a pain in the hem lately!
Turbineguy
(37,212 posts)3. Yeah but the people
they give the contract to will tell us the asteroids will land in another country.