NASA Slashing Observations of Earth 358
mattnyc99 points us to a new report by the National Research Council warning that, by 2010, the number of NASA's Earth-observing missions will drop dramatically, and the number of operating sensors and instruments on NASA spacecraft will decrease by 40 percent. The report says, "The United States' extraordinary foundation of global observations is at great risk." Popular Mechanics asks an MIT professor what it all means. From these accounts it is clear that the Bush administration's priorities on a Mars mission and a moon base are partly to blame for the de-emphasizing of earth science. Neither article quite says that some responsibility must fall to the administration's footdragging on global warming.
The Global Warming Conspiracy... (Score:4, Funny)
Someone should whisper in the Bush Administration's ear (located in the rear underneath the belt) that the Iranians are behind global warming. That should get funding for the earth sciences in the right direction.
Re:Slashdot tipping over (Score:3, Funny)
Observing Earth (Score:2, Funny)
Yay! (Score:2, Funny)
Libertarians, rejoice!
- RG>
Re:Perfect (Score:5, Funny)
Exxon is launching Lobbysat II and Bogusat III to prove that there is no global warming. They shaved costs by not including any sensors nor cameras.
Re:Perhaps its too obvious to make sense... (Score:1, Funny)
Re:I wonder... (Score:2, Funny)
1) Yes, I had to start my post with "Um." It is required by my religious doctrine's 1st Commandment, which is "Piss off pedantic morons."
2) I mentioned Kenya as an example. Most countries do not have major space programs, if they even have space programs. Most countries, in fact, have budgets far less then that of the U.S.A, and they typically have to spend it on things that they feel are more important.
3) Because the U.S.A.'s budget is so much larger then most other countries, there is a lot of expenditure on pointless shit, like the bridge to nowhere in Alaska, or that federal funded study of the effect of floor lights in the Senate. We're the ones (not the only ones, mind) spending vast amounts of money on pointless shit.
4) Russia's space program, right now, seems to more focused on lobbing tourists into space, rather then studying the Earth. As for China... who knows? They could be interested in studying the Earth, but I really doubt it.
5) I didn't say studying the Earth was pointless. You're the one that made that assumption.
Have a day. I suspect, no matter what, you'll criticize it enough that it could never be nice.
Re:Slashdot tipping over (Score:2, Funny)