Is it time to defund NASA? They want more tax money to beat China to the Moon . . . and to screw Musk . . .

Photo above - Money, it’s a hit. Don’t give me that do goody good bullshit. We have to beat China to the moon!

Today in space news and weather: There are 3 NASA astronauts rubbing elbows with Russian Cosmonauts aboard the International Space station. No new experiments planned, and work continues on finding and patching several leaks. It's another stormy day on the sun, and scientists predict decades of dangerous solar flares ahead.

In related news, NASA says it needs more money – a LOT of money – if America is going to get to the moon ahead of China. Both of these stories are real. See links below.

Am I the only one feeling uncomfortable that we keep sending MORE American astronauts to ISS space camp? I remind everyone that Russian hackers are (almost certainly) behind the takedown of European and US air traffic systems over the weekend. In addition to invading Ukraine, war crimes against civilians, and threatening to nuke various cities around the world. Enough is enough. Call our guys home. Let the Russians do whatever the hell they want up there. We can leave them our supply of Flex-Seal® when we go.

I’m not sure the money we save by checking out of the ISS will be enough to help us beat China to the moon. China has FOUR taikonauts (Mandarin for astronauts) aboard their Heavenly Palace space station. Beijing is not entertaining minor league astronauts from Canada, Belgium, Denmark France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the Netherlands like we do on the ISS. (If I left anyone off the past known guest lists, I apologize).

The real reason – according to NASA bureaucrats – that China will beat us to the moon has nothing to do with their slick new Heavenly Palace space station. It’s because of . . . Elon Musk !! (insert boos and hisses here). Musk’s SpaceX rockets are way behind schedule, and they keep exploding. Nobody feels safe riding on one. They have never carried a single live human. Nevertheless, Musk is promising 5 starship missions to Mars by 2028. Unmanned. Hmmm . .. what if we cancel THAT part, and concentrate on the moon, if beating China there is important to our national pride?

In fact, we did beat China to the moon 55 years ago – in 1969. I’m not sure what new experiments are planned this time. Collecting rocks from the dark side, to see if they’re different than the sunny side? How far can someone hit a pickleball with weak lunar gravity this time, instead of a golf ball?

A neighbor kid in my apartment building is ADAMANT that going (back) to the moon is vital. He envisions a dirigible sized inflatable lunar habitat, but buried in a cave, to protect the rubber part from the thousands of meteorites which are pelting the lunar surface. Which is why the ISS is always leaking, and nobody has found all the holes. What are astronauts are going to do inside an underground lunar Hindenburg? Space buff Joey (my neighbor) isn’t sure, but “we have to do this first, if we want to get to Mars”.

Actually Joey, I DON’T want to get to Mars. I don’t want to add trillions to the national debt to plant the American flag on some new airless rock. I prefer to work on earthly problems. Things like stopping invasions and war crimes. Better defense against Russian and Chinese hackers attacking our airlines, electric grid and banks. Maybe we could even throw affordable housing into the mix. You know, an inflatable lunar cave is going to cost a LOT money, and we have hundreds of thousands of people living in sidewalk tents right now.

I’m just sayin’ . . .



U.S. Is Losing Race to Return to Moon, Critics Say, Pointing at SpaceX - The New York Times

'The sun is slowly waking up': NASA warns that there may be more extreme space weather for decades to come | Live Science