This time is so frustrating. There really isn’t any malice or sabotage happening that I am know of, and the system seems to be working well in that the rules enacted to protect human life, property, AND the environment are being followed. But the bureaucracy is so stifling. It’s almost comical (in a tragic way) how even a national priority as high as a return to the moon cannot move ahead despite the obvious benefits of doing so.
Why is it a national priority? What are the obvious benefits?
The Artemis program is not as much of a national priority as the Apollo program was, but the US still wants to beat China to the moon in this second space race. As for the benefits (other than national pride), space exploration frequently results in new technologies being developed which can have useful applications back on Earth.
You’re not wrong, but that sounds like the program simply allocates public funds to development of military technologies under the guise of space exploration. No different to the first space race.
If the benefits are so great I imagine the Apollo program would not have faded away. That’s a lot of effort and money expended to plant a flag (or plant another before the Chinese do it). The difference this time is the US and China are racing for the moon, but only one of them has crumbling infrastructure and a lack of modern public transport back on Earth.
I admit I don’t know the whole story, but those benefits sound kind of weak to me and my take on the last test was that it was just the quickest way to dispose of a giant prototype they didn’t need anymore as they had already built the next. And it seems they acted in bad faith concerning the apparently entirely predictable damage to the surrounding environment, which I know just looks like crap land to many, but as a desert person I feel for it. I’m happy to know there’s some bureaucratic backlash for that. I don’t get the urgency. I’m open to understanding better, but I offer my viewpoint from the bleachers.
