Post 2015 Russian ISS Modules

Rob Coppinger, at the Flight Global blog, raises our attention to significant words from the head of the Russian space agency:

Chief Anatoly Perminov stated when at a heads of agency meeting on July 17 that "if a decision is made to continue working with the station after 2015 then the Russian segment will be completed with further modules - energy modules, research modules etc."

Currently the station is slated to finish its lifespan in 2015. Just as the shuttle contracts are terminally closing down now, the station contracts are structured with contractors to end in 2015.

Do you think the station should be preserved beyond 2015? Or do you think it should be canned to free up funding for the Moon and Mars program. Comment here and to your elected officials.

Your legislators probably don't even know that the Station is scheduled to be decomissioned.

To Predict The Future

I often reflect on the oft quoted and powerful saying that:

"the best way to predict the future is to create it."

This means that one can declare a future and through determination it is possible for them to create that future.

John F Kennedy predicted the future. Bill Gates predicted the future. Neither of their futures was created single-handedly by either of them, but they they rallied others around them in order to realize their dreams. They shared their passion with others, and made it their passion as well.

Millions of us predict the future each day, in our own lives and at work. Often the futures that we predict and create are less grand than that of Kennedy and Gates, but we create our futures nevertheless.

With this in mind, I predict the future for www.actionforspace.com:

This site will become a major clearinghouse of action items for the online space supporter. It will provide current events in space policy, as well as encouragement and resources for online space supporters to take concrete action that encourages more public, corporate, and governmental support and funding for spaceflight in America.

Actionforspace.com will be written by a team of 10 independent authors who regularly update the content so that the online space supporter can be alerted to current congressional votes, outreach opportunities, elections, and other events relevant to the future of space exploration. Among the 10 will be someone in touch with the space community at the following locations:

Houston-John Benac
Florida-Tim Bailey
Huntsville
Southern California
New Mexico
Bay Area
Washington, DC
Colorado

We proved to ourselves, the media, and the politicians with the Politico debates that when oriented and mandated, the online space community has muscle and drive. Actionforspace.com will set the beat for flexing that muscle with regularity and cohesion.

Will you be one of the 10 authors? Let me know. Otherwise, I'll find you. In the mean time. I'll be posting again at least every two weeks. We are like embers in a fire. bring us together and we grow hotter and brighter. Draw us apart and we can die out.