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  Will U.S. military form 'Space Corps of Engineers'?

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Author Topic:   Will U.S. military form 'Space Corps of Engineers'?
Robert Pearlman
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Posts: 42988
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999

posted 03-17-2014 06:44 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Robert Pearlman   Click Here to Email Robert Pearlman     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
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
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Posts: 1966
From: Atlanta, GA
Registered: Feb 2007

posted 03-17-2014 07:09 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for garymilgrom   Click Here to Email garymilgrom     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
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
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Posts: 1642
From: Olympia, WA
Registered: Sep 2011

posted 03-17-2014 09:48 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for p51   Click Here to Email p51     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
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
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From: Geneva, Switzerland
Registered: May 2006

posted 03-17-2014 10:52 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for cspg   Click Here to Email cspg     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
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
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From: Cape Canaveral, FL
Registered: Mar 2010

posted 03-17-2014 12:20 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Jim Behling   Click Here to Email Jim Behling     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
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
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Posts: 227
From: United States
Registered: May 2012

posted 03-17-2014 01:06 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for SpaceCadet1983   Click Here to Email SpaceCadet1983     Edit/Delete Message   Reply w/Quote
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.

All times are CT (US)

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