FurryBetaI wish I could get excited about the Artemis launch, I really really do. But unlike the Apollo program, which I remember from the 1970s, this seems, idk, anticlimactic? But that isn’t the right word for my emotion. The entirety of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo landing on the moon was from 1958 to July 1969, 11 years, and seemed like it had the whole country behind it for the most part (I wasn’t even 5 years old at the time, so what do I know). In any case, there was an excitement about it. 1/2
The Artemis program itself has been going on since 2017 (2005 if you include the Constellation program) and here we are 9 years later, just getting a crew off the ground. These programs have been such boondoggles where no one seemed to care if they happened or not, as long as the money kept flowing. No sense of technological advancement, big money being spent on disposable rockets, and nostalgia of what could have been. The only reason we’re doing it now is because of China. 2/n
If not for China, this wouldn’t even be happening, just more boondoggles to keep the money flowing.
I think another reason I feel so blasé is that so much of this could’ve been done in the 1980 or 90s. But after Apollo 12, the mood went to “been there; done that” (Apollo 13 notwithstanding). We had 3 more Apollo missions, with full hardware, that we left literally lying on the ground (two of them are at the KSC and JSC, not sure where the third is, off the top of my head) 3/n
We really can’t say we’re pushing the envelope, so much as redesigning the wheel. Sure, it’s still dangerous as fuck and I want to see the women and men of the Artemis II crew come home safely after a successful mission, but what are we really doing? Trying to “secure” the high ground from China?
Now don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot of incredible science that can be done of the moon and I do think it’s worth going back for just that. It’s just that it could’ve been done earlier and cheaper 4/n
I so wish we were doing this as “the people of Earth” instead of silly dick or boob measuring contests. Damn it, I want my Star Trek Federation from TOS, NG, DS9 and Voyager!
Idk, just a silly rant. Godspeed, Artemis II
5/5
Whyrl@FurryBeta But the Mercury/Gemini/Apollo programs never would've happened without the pissing contest during the Cold War.
@whyrl The race with the USSR was a real thing for sure, but at least there was technological advances happening. Artemis, at least until we actually make a lunar outpost, isn’t really breaking much ground technology wise. The Apollo system was something brand new that got crews of three to the moon and put 2 of that crew on the surface and brought them back again, whereas Artemis is sending 4 on a free return and the next launch is a year or more away and won’t leave LEO
