Ronn!Blankenship <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> asked
Exactly how realistic a proposal was Apollo on 25 May 1961?
Fairly realistic. Not only were many of the technical details worked
out in the 1940s and 1950s, but the US started development of the
large rocket engines used by the Saturn boosters in the 1950s. The
challenge was difficult, but `doable', which is why President Kennedy
chose it.
Also, the challenge was simple to define: carry a man (or in the
event, two men per mission) to the surface of the moon, and bring him
(them) back alive. Nothing else was important: not establishing a
presence in space similar to the US presence in Antarctica after the
International Geophysical Year, not setting the stage for
crewed exploration of other planets, not reducing transport costs.
(After 1957, the US presence in Antarctica became permanent, with both
scientists and ordinary, working people, like one of my nephew's girl
friends, who mostly loaded and unloaded supplies. Now a big issue is
Antarctic tourism.)
--
Robert J. Chassell Rattlesnake Enterprises
http://www.rattlesnake.com GnuPG Key ID: 004B4AC8
http://www.teak.cc [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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