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Random quote: We will not know our own injustice if we cannot imagine justice. We will not be free if we do not imagine freedom. We cannot demand that anyone try to attain justice and freedom who has not had a chance to imagine them as attainable. -- Ursula Le Guin (The Wave in the Mind)
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50th Anniversary of Moon Speech - SciFi Optimism
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Wintermute
Posted 2011-05-24 9:47 PM (#2405)
Subject: 50th Anniversary of Moon Speech - SciFi Optimism



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Tomorrow is the 50th Anniversary of President Kennedy's address to the US / world to land a man on the moon and send a message to the Soviets to drop dead. There is a article about it in the NYTimes (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/24/science/space/24space.html?_r=1&ref=science), which covers the amazing success and the subsequent loss of enthusiasm.

The Golden Age of Science Fiction was in the 60s and 70s, right after that speech. I think it reasonable to take President Kennedy's speech and assign it the hallowed honor of being the spark of imagination that produced the fine works we are reading today. (Either the speech or Sputnik.)
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Wintermute
Posted 2011-05-25 12:42 PM (#2407 - in reply to #2405)
Subject: RE: 50th Anniversary of Moon Speech - SciFi Optimism



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"Kennedy launched America on that new ocean. For 50 years we explored the waters to become the leader in space exploration. Today, under the announced objectives, the voyage is over. John F. Kennedy would have been sorely disappointed."

Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell and Gene Cernan
May 25, 2011
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Administrator
Posted 2011-05-28 12:45 PM (#2412 - in reply to #2407)
Subject: Re: 50th Anniversary of Moon Speech - SciFi Optimism



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Location: Dallas, Texas		It seems such a shame that we have not progressed further in manned space exploration since those heady days of success and optimism ushered in by Kennedy. It feels like a major step backwards to be returning to capsule space vehicles. Like we've lost our edge. I guess we have to hope that the private sector can push us forward now that NASA has been crippled with constant budget cuts.
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Wintermute
Posted 2011-05-28 6:03 PM (#2414 - in reply to #2412)
Subject: Re: 50th Anniversary of Moon Speech - SciFi Optimism



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We'll have to rely on the private sector... or hope that an idealogical existential threat comes along that threatens our way of life so as to motivate us back into a life-or-death struggle for domination of space. Woo....
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