Author
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Topic: Will U.S. military form 'Space Corps of Engineers'?
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Robert Pearlman Editor Posts: 42988 From: Houston, TX Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 03-17-2014 06:44 AM
Roger Launius, associate director of collections and curatorial affairs at the National Air and Space Museum, writes on his blog about the future of human spaceflight as it pertains to the U.S. military. There has been a long mating dance between the civil and military space programs over the years relative to the role of humans in space. In a succession of recent studies ranging from the Air Force Science Board’s “New World Vista” in 1995 to the Rumsfeld commission’s 2001 analysis of national security space issues, the DoD has persistently sought to find a role for humans in space. |
garymilgrom Member Posts: 1966 From: Atlanta, GA Registered: Feb 2007
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posted 03-17-2014 07:09 AM
My knee jerk reaction is that this involves weaponizing space and is a bad idea. However Roger postulates the Military has been used for peaceful activities in the past."The United States Army explored the American West, kept order on the frontier, and opened the region to colonization. ... It raised crops, herded cattle, cut timber, quarried stone, built sawmills, and performed the manifold duties of pioneers in addition to its peacekeeping mission. " If this can be repeated in space it may be the only way America could achieve a long term space policy that was less affected by partisan politics than is currently the case. Very interesting. |
p51 Member Posts: 1642 From: Olympia, WA Registered: Sep 2011
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posted 03-17-2014 09:48 AM
Most people have no idea that the original transcontinental railroad in the 1860s (and several other railroads, many years later) was surveyed and engineered by many US Army officers. I see a parallel on this topic, knowing this... |
cspg Member Posts: 6210 From: Geneva, Switzerland Registered: May 2006
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posted 03-17-2014 10:52 AM
The United States Army explored the American West, kept order on the frontier, and opened the region to colonization. ... It raised crops, herded cattle, cut timber, quarried stone, built sawmills, and performed the manifold duties of pioneers in addition to its peacekeeping mission. Do you think Native Americans will subscribe to this view?As for militarization of space, it's just question of time. Hasn't been unveiled just recently that the Air Force plans to send satellites just below geostationary orbit "to monitor their activities"? |
Jim Behling Member Posts: 1463 From: Cape Canaveral, FL Registered: Mar 2010
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posted 03-17-2014 12:20 PM
The "militarization" of space occurred with the beginning of the space age. It is naive to think it hasn't or that it won't continue. The "space cadet" view that space is suppose to be virgin territory that will be free of weapons or social strife is just ludicrous and nonsense. Star Trek is just a fantasy. Space is just a medium for travel and full of territories to be exploited just like the oceans and air.Currently, there are many military spacecraft doing military mission on orbit. A weapon does not have to reside in space to be used in space. ASATs have orbited and passed through space. A gun had been mounted on a space station. Warheads in RVs pass through space. |
SpaceCadet1983 Member Posts: 227 From: United States Registered: May 2012
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posted 03-17-2014 01:06 PM
Not to mention that the Soviets had a nasty habit of blowing up their inactive spy satellites in the orbital paths of the Space Shuttle while it was on orbit. Roger Launius has written a thoughtful, but fanciful piece. I just don't see it happening given the current political climate of budget cuts and military downsizing which will go on well into the future. The commercial ventures would have to pay for any military protection and outposts to make this viable. |