I’m in Colorado Springs this week for the National Space Symposium. Upon arriving at the Broadmoor yesterday afternoon this was the first thing that greeted me:
No, it’s not someone protesting NASA’s planned reliance on commercial ventures to transport crews to LEO. It’s one of the handful of protestors that turn up outside the conference site every year, usually protesting military space activities as well as more general military concerns (“Are Nuclear Weapons Legal?” asked one banner.)
The highlight of today is arguably speech this morning by NASA administrator Charles Bolden; there will also be a panel session in the afternoon on the NASA budget featuring deputy administrator Lori Garver. But perhaps the most intriguing thing on the schedule is this event notice sent out to media: “NASA Optimus Prime Announcement”. If the Autobots are working with NASA, the new exploration plan would seem like a shoe-in (not to mention that Transformers probably count as gamechanging technology.) No word if opponents of the new plan have reached out to Megatron.
That’s a great likeness of me Jeff. I like to keep the aluminum foil on the inside of the helmet ‘cuz frankly, most people just don’t understand!
LOL!!!!
I wonder what the yellow flag is supposed to represent (if anything)?
Also strange that the uniform and sign use the old worm logo. Although I suppose that’s easier to replicate than the meatball.
FWIW…
This isn’t good for anyone. Nice 1980’s logo.
This guy is from the “Citizens for Peace in Space” in Colorado Springs. I see on their web calendar
“Broadmoor Convention Center
Bannering and leafletting before the opening banquet of the giant space arms bazaar sponsored by the US Space Foundation. Meet at the J&P to carpool at 4:45 p.m. For more information, contact Bill Sulzman at (719) 389-0644.”
I believe a yellow flag is what they raise in the event of an air-raid, which might be relevant to nukes from space, if not nukes in space.
Giant space arms bazaar, eh?
Neil Armstrong has come out of hiding to condemn Obama’s space plan!! Why didn’t that guy speak out sooner?! But anyway, it’s better late than never. Anyone with an engineering mind can see clearly the damage Obama’s plan will do to the long term future of NASA! If Obama gets away with this—with eliminating the Constellation program—then, NASA is just plain STRANDED in LEO for the next twenty years! All this damage to the long run, just because there are certain people out there who detest & abhor the Moon as a destination, so much. This is pure madness, that’s what this is! To have America’s quest for deep space hijacked by the “Anywhere-but-the-Moon” crowd. If NASA is compelled to avoid deep gravity wells, and never develop Lunar landing craft, then it is obvious that Mars landing craft will also never be brought into line. The Mars fanatics do themselves NO favors, by coming out praising Obama’s space plan!! Even Robert Zubrin seems to have sobered up to the realization that “Flexible Path” will maroon us to doing nothing but endless circles around Earth. Even he, a pro-Mars stalwart, understands the importance of having some intermediate goal, with which to test out your proposed far-deep space equipment. The Return-To-The Moon goal is the Gemini Project equivalent, towards perfecting interplanetary space travel concepts. The Moon should be re-visited BEFORE & AHEAD of any asteroid or martian moon forays!!