II of X. Sense and Consequence - Space
This entry was posted on 3/4/2008 9:15 AM and is filed under uncategorized.
2 March 2008
II of X. Sense and Consequence - Space
NASA scientists recently announced their intention to slam two spacecraft into the moon's South Pole to detect any hidden water ice that may arise from the collisions (Jeremy Hsu, "NASA Takes Aim at Moon with Double Sledgehammer," Space.com, 27 February 2008). This measure is a bit puzzling for a cornucopia of reasons, but the immediate coming to mind is that NASA plans on launching Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to the moon's South Pole in October and it will carry a radar instrument that may be able to distinguish ice below the moon's surface (Kenneth Chang, "The Moon's Craggiest Stretch Comes Into Focus," The New York Times, 28 February 2008). In effect, NASA has scheduled a less intrusive way of making a determination that would make the collisions slated for February 2009, superfluous and perhaps, dangerous.
Although the collisions may be relatively minor-to-medium in comparison to those by meteoric debris against the moon, the possible consequence is far-reaching and yet unknown. It would be a disastrous reality to be alive when a consequence of the impacts does occur.
Step back and pause for a second on this:
Applying simple common sense, let us just explore the possibilities.
1) What is the moon's relation to the earth?
Something about sun-moon-earth relationship to the earth's oceans and tides.
2) What about gravity/the balance of gravitational pull?
Something about keeping a delicate balance of pull and place amongst the planets, earth, the sun and the moon.
3) What about the unknowns of other meteoric debris?
Something about other debris crashing to the earth if it were not for the pull of moon and sun...
I am far from being a scientist, much less a NASA expert. However, simple common sense should take caution being thrown to the wind and place it squarely back on the whiteboard as the first item under "potential consequences"...
Unfortunately, unlike the FCC and the FDA, there is no control for NASA exploration and that just happens to be the segment where billions upon trillions of dollars get spent and without our say...without the voice of the 'common man'...
It would be a dreadful advent if we turned our galaxy into what we have our seas (from Andrew C. Revkin, "Human Shadows on the Seas," The New York Times, 26 February 2008):
"Now scientists are building the first worldwide portrait of such dispersed human impacts on the oceans, revealing a planet-spanning mix of depleted resources, degraded ecosystems and disruptive biological blending as species are moved around the globe by accident and intent."
"...the first effort to map 17 kinds of human ocean impacts like organic pollution, including agricultural runoff and sewage; damage from bottom-scraping trawls; and intensive traditional fishing along coral reefs. About 40 percent of the ocean areas are strongly affected, and just 4 percent pristine..."
Whereas the oceans affected are limited to those on Earth, there may be galaxial factors preventing whatever damage we may cause...
...factors that may obliterate us altogether...
