I agree with Paul Spudis that he was one of the few people in the Bush administration who really understood the purpose of the Vision for Space Exploration, and was able to articulate it. Unfortunately, he either didn’t recognize how much Mike Griffin was perverting that vision, or didn’t have sufficient clout to do anything about it.
24 thoughts on “Jack Marburger”
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” As I see it, questions about the vision boil down to whether we want to incorporate the Solar System in our economic sphere, or not.” – John Marburger, 44th Robert H. Goddard Memorial Symposium, March 15, 2006
We’re working on it Jack…
Wow. Just wow.
What a jerk you are. The guy dies and you find shortcomings and dump on him before he’s even in the ground. Creep.
What the fuck are you talking about Carl?
Ooooh, “M” – swear words!
This new crop of trolls is significantly crazier than the usual suspects: I fear the shark has been jumped.
Carl, let me put this in small words even you and small children can understand and re-ask the question:
If someone is dissing Marburger in this thread would you please point it out for the rest of us so we can understand what you are upset about because the rest of us don’t see it.
If hae a feeling unless Carl unfucks himself quickly, we will soon be positing:
“Alas, poor Yurick, we knew him well enough!”
He will be the third or fourth notch in Rand’s grip.
Ken,
That was my response to the posting on spaceref. I have no idea what Carl is yammering on about….
-MM
None of us does Michael and he doesn’t seem to be inclined to explain himself.
Michael, at times like these words often fail. You chose very well from his for a remembrance. Such a man will be missed.
Carl, could you raise your IQ above room temperature?
Thanks!
“Above room temp”? If so I guess I’d REALLY stand head and shoulders above the crowd that posts here …
“Above room temp”? If so I guess I’d REALLY stand head and shoulders above the crowd that posts here …
Good one!
Did you think that up by yourself while riding on the back of the Short Bus while eating a bucket of paint chips?
What a jerk you are. The guy dies and you find shortcomings and dump on him before he’s even in the ground. Creep.
Again, where did Michael(or anybody) disrespect Mr. Marburger? If you want to demonstrate your above room temp IQ, you can start by impressing the hell out of us with some reading comprehension because right now, none of us think you have any.
“M” – read what Simberg wrote. I never accused anyone named “Michael” of dumping on Marburger. You guys really need to read what people write. Ready-fire-aim ….
The only critique I see is of Michael Griffin and a regret that Marburger could not forsee the damage he would cause.
I would hardly call that “dumping on him”.
Lighten up Francis.
Along with a compliment that he understood VSE. WRT Griffin, Marburger certainly had a lot of company.
And Ready-fire-aim is superior to [snort]-fire-[snort].
Carl, please remember the First Rule of Holes: when you find yourself in one, stop digging.
Dr. Marburger will be missed as a space policy advocate. My condolences to his family and friends.
incorporate the Solar System in our economic sphere
I was just reviewing this article…
http://www.marssociety.org/home/press/tms-in-the-news/howwecanflytomarsinthisdecade%E2%80%93andonthecheap
we could send expeditions to Mars at half the mission cost currently required to launch a Space Shuttle flight.
If I’m reading that right he’s saying around 2016 max cost per person to mars is a bit more than $100m which will go lower over time. This cost includes a return trip so already we have a one way option for less. I’m thinking a dozen sent in six redundant vehicles at the same time.
Before ISRU each person could be indefinitely supplied for about $100m per decade. After ISRU we have an economic motivation for private development on mars with a growing settlement population.
Terraforming mars is completely unnecessary. Economic exploitation will provide more than enough living space.
The labor of each colonist would easily produce enough resources to allow three more to join them for each one there. Mojave companies will have branch offices on mars in no time at all.
Mars would be a great place to develop new Thorium power sources perhaps?
Instead of two man missions, 100 passenger missions would bring down the cost per person to within a middle class families net worth.
Of course, once they start making babies that really lowers cost to mars. I bet mars university offers a great curriculum. This is just one data point in the solar systems economic sphere.
NASA only wants new Dragons going to the ISS. Suppose SpaceX sells them as used for $50k in orbit? Why not, they are already well paid for. Plus they’d have most of their propellant left.
Add the transorbital railroad putting two people and several years of supplies in orbit for $50k.
For $100k or less down a couple gets a new martian home (or where ever a settlement is within their delta V) making another small addition to our solar system economic sphere.
Earth departure propellant is the wet blanket of course.
we could send expeditions to Mars at half the mission cost currently required to launch a Space Shuttle flight.
Ten kilowatts of power is a fraction of what is needed to do what he is proposing to do on the surface.
To Hell with Mars as an early destination. It’s a very long way away, which has its own dangers (radiation being the worst of them) and potential for catastrophic failure that will make the Shuttle disasters look like a tea party, at least in publicity terms. What do we do if they get hit by a solar storm en route?
Near-earth space colonisation, as an investment in the energy infrastructure of Earth – at least to start with. O’Neill laid it out thirty years ago – why the heck haven’t we got started?
Ten kilowatts of power is a fraction of what is needed
Not enough for industry which is needed but enough for a home. I agree power is a key requirement and more is definitely better.
Radiation is a false boogie man. Radiation is a problem even if you aren’t heading somewhere. So, why mars? It’s not exclusive. Go anywhere you want. The advantage of mars is liberty.
Man dominates man to his injury. It has always been so. Space gives us something humans have never had in their entire history.
The foundation of freedom is ownership. It should be absolute. An O’Neill colony is fine for what it is, but it’s structure carries a certain political reality. It is, for all intent and purpose, a company town. That has implications for those that are a part of it. Everyone wanting O’Neill colonies imagines themselves captain which blinds them to the realities.
Mars being years away is an advantage with regard to freedom. It allows liberty from the false assumptions we constantly have to live with here on earth. It provides a unique chance to get things right. We don’t need to steal from our neighbors. Contract for services is all the government we need. Nobody should be forced to be part of any contract “for the good of all” which is the excuse used to rob people by government force.
Mars has resources available to all inhabitants. Use of claimed land must go through the owner. Resources from unclaimed land can be used by any until it is claimed. This provides a freedom not found on any ship.
The moon is a puppet show. The wrong foundation will be laid because it’s not that different politically from land here on earth even if the environment is radically different. Three days away is too damned close.