Michael Turner
Sun, 27 Feb 2005 20:37:03 -0800
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Larry writes:
"Perhaps now it is best that the list move
on to where discussions can be expanded upon in order to turn the talk into a
real Icepick."
The premise of that statement is that
discussions here can contribute to a mission that is, at minimum, a generation
in the future. Any such mission will require billions of dollars, a great
deal of technical groundwork, and a base of experience accumulated
by conducting less ambitious work on the Moon and on Mars.
When I first joined this list, I looked
through the archives and was intrigued that some people here were actually
trying to build something. However, the more I became acquainted with the
actual engineering requirements of a probe that could reach Europa's ocean, the
more incredulous I became that people were trying to prototype any such probe in
their garages. I stayed on the list because there was the occasional
posting of interest, and the occasional interesting discussion (even if that
discussion was frequently off-topic.)
If I hadn't been on this list, I would
probaby never have met some interesting people - specifically, Jack Reeve and
Gary McMurtry. It's been worthwhile for that alone.
On the other hand ... I think there's a
certain sense among space enthusiasts that there's something inherently noble in
'reaching for the stars.' The problem is, you don't make upward progress
unless you're also reaching for the next rung of a ladder. What
ladder? Where? If one doesn't exist, how do you build one? If
building such a ladder requires public money, how do you generate political
will? And if political will fails to materialize, is this not a recipe for
bitterness?
Far-future goals fail to energize and
eventually lose their appeal when there is no near-term satisfaction to be had
in pursuing them. In Tom Stoppard's play, "The Coast of
Utopia" we hear Herzen say, "A distant end is not an end but a trap.
The end we work for must be closer - the laborer's wage, the pleasure in the
work done, the summer lightning of personal happiness." These were the
words of a former revolutionary who had become a political gradualist.
Earlier, he'd groused that "the people are more interested in potatoes than in
freedom." Eventually he became a realist about human nature, but without
losing hope.
I may live long enough to hear news of
Europa's ocean finally being reached. In the meantime, however, I don't
see a *realistic* path to contributing directly to this goal in my remaining
lifetime. For me, there are better things to be involved in.
It's still a great goal, don't get me wrong
about that.
-michael turner
-----Original
Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]On Behalf Of LARRY KLAES Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 8:59 AM To: europa@klx.com Subject: Re: Closure of the europa mailing list
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