To The Moon!

So apparently, President-elect Obama wants us to go back to the moon - and yes, you conspiracy theorists, we WERE there before - the last time being Apollo 17, thirty-seven years ago. Even though NASA is slated to launch a return vehicle in 2015, why the sudden impulse to hasten the race? Those darn Chinese have stepped up their space program and the Pentagon is worried about the status of our defense satellites. In order to beat the Chinese, Obama plans to break down some of the barriers between military and civilian space programs, hoping cooperation between NASA and the DOD will speed up the process. All this made me think about going to the moon the first time and watching it on TV with my family. I remember feeling excited and nervous and proud all at the same time. Living in Space City back in the '60s and '70's was a wild and groovy time. You can recreate those feelings by watching the 1989 doc, "For All Mankind" , an excellent film about the first moon landing in 1969. Check your cable listings - I watched it this weekend. Anyone know how many people have actually been on the moon? The answer is 12, all American men. If President-elect Obama gets his wish, maybe my son will get to watch another American - perhaps a woman - step foot on the lunar surface...for all Humankind. To the moon, Alice!