Lonewolf 50: Interesting what attracts the attention of the idioterati on PPRuNe.
Artemis II just launched, headed for the moon (Alice). Not a peep out of the allegedly aware who obsess over space, UFOs and volcanos in Hawaii.
As we say in South Texas: tu madre.
Well, let's unpack that: The Apollo programme was magnificent, ground breaking, and technologically fantastic.
I have met and shaken the hand of Jim Lovell, Commander of Apollo 13. I have visited the facility at Cape Canaveral twice - once with my son - and spent hours just looking up at the giant F1 engines and the intermediate engines on the Saturn V on static display, and all the other exhibits there. From an engineer's point of view, the whole thing was brilliant and utterly fantastic. I am an absolute fan. America did a superb job.
But a rocket around the moon is nothing new - several Apollos did it, including Commander Lovell and his crew. There are so many things in the World today that that need urgent attention technology and money; (e.g. drinking water and renewable non-carbon energy), that a rocket around the moon - that has been done before - is a luxury we can ill afford today. Do we really need it ?
And please don't mention WD40, clever though it is !
PS, calling us "idioterati" is unlikely to get us on your side. You could have started this thread in a much nicer way !
.