RE: With only 5 days left...

[Meldrak]

My name is Joel Janssen.  I am a poor college student and only joined the list in the last week.   I may be speaking out of turn as a student and not a scientist but everything said below is with the utmost respect for all of you and what you have tried to accomplish here:                 Space exploration is in our future and it will only be accomplished if we work hard and never waiver from our goals.  Anything is possible and in my opinion space exploration is not in the hands of governments but in our hands.  Private individuals, small groups of like minded individuals, small businesses, and even small and large corporations are the ones who will dominate the space industry in the future.  Mickey is right in the fact that the war on terrorism sapped money from other government programs like NASA; but look what Rutan and Allen did with spaceship one.  It cost a lot of money but they funded it and built it themselves and their unique design (while it only went to the edge of space) changed the way I look at space travel completely and paved the way for future private endeavors. Look at what the UT students did this last week when they won the prize to design a satellite for less than $100,000 and now get to make that design a reality and launch it.  If current technology does not fit your needs you invent new technology that does.  Again I am not a rocket scientist and I do not have the experience and wisdom that you all have but I fully believe that our future is in the private sector not in government funded projects.  I remember the first time I looked at a picture of Europa, I can still bring that image to my mind.  Images like it fueled my dreams as a kid and it still does … every day. I personally, have set goals for my lifetime that are non-negotiable.  I will go to space even if I have to build a spaceship in my backyard and I want to explore the asteroid belt.  I will not let anything deter me and no person or obstacle can stand in my way.  To quote someone less real but no less honorable than the respected scientists and others you have all quoted in the last week … Willy Wonka: “We are the musicmakers … we are the dreamers of the dreams.”   Seems to me that the real question is: How bad do you want it?   Never give up on your dreams! Respectfully, Joel Janssen     [EMAIL PROTECTED]     From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Schmidt Mickey D Civ HQ USAFA/DF Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2005 9:35 AM To: europa@klx.com Subject: RE: With only 5 days left...   I got started on this when we were still talking about how to demonstrate a heated object could penetrate ice. I am sorry to see it ending. I hope that an alternative site becomes available if/when the US and other can decide to use nuclear rockets for propulsion and nuclear power for providing energy in space. I think that will be a long while. The war on terrorism will sap funds needed for space exploration so much so that I imagine GW Bush’s statements about going to the Moon and Mars will be as dead as the Hubble repair seems to be … I just hope the space station can be completed and a replacement for the shuttle can be built sooner rather than later.   It’s been interesting to read all your inputs even if I haven’t had so many myself.   Mickey Schmidt   -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of LARRY KLAES Sent: Monday, February 28, 2005 5:14 PM To: europa Subject: With only 5 days left...   I hope everyone on this list will at least give their thoughts and ideas on how we can explore Europa.  You need not be a rocket scientist to do so.  In fact, that might bring a refreshing perspective to look at the problem in another way.   Larry