Andy Rooney comments on Bush's space plan

[LunarOrbit]

Tonight on 60 Minutes Andy Rooney commented on President Bush's plan to return to the Moon and go to Mars.

First the good:

I'm ambivalent about the president's plan. I agree we have to keep exploring. Humans would still be cavemen if we hadn't explored. I'm sure there were people in 1492 who thought it was a waste of money when Christopher Columbus set out on the trip that ended up with his discovery of America.

We ought to be continually trying to find out whether there are other worlds out there - even other living things. It seems unlikely that Earth would be the only place in the whole vast universe with life on it.

If there's a God, why would God have put human beings on Earth and nowhere else? If there is other life, we should find it. Maybe they know something we don't know.

And the bad:

Scientists have said that it would probably be a one-way trip for whoever made it, because gravity on Mars is so strong that it would be impossible to bring along enough fuel for them to take off and return to Earth.

Bringing enough fuel from Earth to Mars isn't impossible, just expensive. But that's why the best way to do it would be to make fuel on Mars from material found in it's atmosphere and soil.

And now for the just plain idiotic:

Space exploration hasn't produced much for us except some good pictures.

Here is the entire story written by Andy Rooney:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/01/22/60minutes/rooney/main595141.shtml

[xir]

gotta luv the idiotic bit, i can think of another thing though Velcro , nah good to hear positive opinions on the mission.

And besides isn’t human life all about pretty pictures

[smich]

The pretty pictures ARE great, but it proves he didn't even listen the Bush's speech.

Spaceflight has provided so much - weather prediction being but one benefit...

Steve M

[Dingo1]

You sometimes have to take Andy Rooney with a grain of salt on 60 minutes.  He pokes fun at everyone and everything.  From interviews he has given, he is a big supporter of space exploration, just he is fustrated with how slow things have developed in that area.