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Forum:	Free Space
Topic:	Red Bull Stratos: Felix Baumgartner's skydive

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Your Reply: HTML is ON UBB Code is ON Smilies Legend	[QUOTE]Originally posted by YankeeClipper: [B] [QUOTE]Originally posted by Robert Pearlman: [b] It wasn't about preeminence in space; the U.S. already claimed preeminence, nor was it about science. Webb, to his credit, very much believed that science should be the driving force for the nation's space program and that it shouldn't only be focused on beating the Russians in a race, but that was clearly Kennedy's primary interest and objective.[/b][/QUOTE] I would continue to say that the manned spaceflight program was always about seeking pre-eminence in the science of spaceflight and exploration. Every single spaceflight from the pioneering days of Project Mercury right through to the final flight of the Space Shuttle Program has been, in essence, a scientific mission. The Space Shuttle remained an experimental vehicle itself just as the Mercury capsules were, all focused on pushing the boundaries of human knowledge. Science experiments performed onboard or launched from spaceflights were in addition to the science of flight/operation of the vehicles themselves. Going back to the pioneers of modern rocketry and astronautics: Tsiolkovsky's 1903 [i]The Exploration of Cosmic Space by Means of Reaction Devices[/i], Goddard's 1919 [i]A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes[/i], and Oberth's 1923 [i]By Rocket into Planetary Space[/i], these pioneers were envisioning a future for mankind in space. World War II 1939-1945 saw the science of modern rocketry used for tactical and strategic military advantage. At the end of the war, Operation Paperclip was implemented by the US OSS/JIOA to deny German scientific knowledge, expertise, and equipment to the rest of the world. President Eisenhower approved a plan to orbit a scientific satellite as part of the International Geophysical Year (IGY) for the period 1957-1958, a cooperative effort to gather scientific data about the Earth. The Soviet Union quickly jumped in and announced plans to orbit its own satellite. When Sputnik I was launched in 1957, there was an inate US fear that the Russians could and would militarily dominate the ‘high ground’ of space and that the US absolutely had to counter that threat. Eisenhower recognised that only by becoming pre-eminent in science and technology, could the US gain the real competitive edge necessary to catch, surpass, be militarily superior to the Russians, and ultimately be peaceful leaders in space and space exploration. This led to Project Manhigh, the 1958 National Aeronautics and Space Act, NASA, Project Excelsior, and Project Mercury. Manned spaceflight was in its infancy during Kennedy's presidency. NASA Administrator James Webb and others were having to explain to Kennedy and the American people the vision of spaceflight. Kennedy, as a cold war leader and politician not a scientist, may have had private doubts and been focused on beating the Russians, but that objective was, in reality, to seek technical supremacy. Exactly what Webb and others were advocating that the program should be about - pre-eminence in science and technology. How exactly does one practically go about beating the Russians and cementing the moral superiority of the Free World? Answer: By attaining and maintaining scientific technological primacy and pre-eminence. By developing and applying the best rocket science, materials science, engineering science, computer science, life science etc. As Webb reassured the president, the space program would deliver: <BLOCKQUOTE>[i]A basic ability in this nation to use science and very advanced technologies to increase national power – our economy all the way through. While you’re President, this is going to come true in this country. So you’re going to have both science and technology appreciating your leadership in this field. [/i]</BLOCKQUOTE> Kennedy and military astronauts may have had personal views on the reasons for the space program, but it does not mean the vision expressed at Rice Stadium was invalid. The space program was more than one man who died 5 years before mankind ever reached the Moon. Kennedy may have articulated a vision, but it was Webb and NASA and thousands of American scientists, engineers, and technicians who were charged with actually realizing that vision. Kennedy said it best: <BLOCKQUOTE>[i]Its conquest deserves the best of all mankind, and its opportunity for peaceful cooperation may never come again. But why, some say, the moon? Why choose this as our goal? And they may well ask why climb the highest mountain? Why, 35 years ago, fly the Atlantic? Why does Rice play Texas? We choose to go to the moon. [b]We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills[/b], because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too.[/i]</BLOCKQUOTE> He never lived to see the goal attained, and we'll never know if he truly believed in it or not, but he was ultimately, absolutely correct. You have to do the hard, serious science first and get it right, before you can ever think or dream of setting records or beating others. The laws of physics will quickly remind you of that fact if you ever lose focus, even for an instant. Red Bull did not have to participate in the Stratos project in order to sell their product. They were doing just fine as they were, and there are far safer, easier, quicker, and cheaper ways to push their product. Had the company been about to go bankrupt and the Stratos project was a last ditch 'Hail Mary' play to revitalise the brand and save the company, then one might legitimately suspect them of asking a man to risk his life for the sake of publicity. Red Bull Stratos was always about something more - about exploring technical limits, realizing human potential, and pushing the envelope.[/B][/QUOTE]
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