Bush Wants To Go Back To The Moon-NASA Doesn't Have Enough Fake Moon Dirt

[matcom]

<snip>

The Man Who Made
Moon Dirt for NASA
Is in Demand Again

Bush's Exploration Plans
Have Created a Need
For Dr. Carter's Expertise
By AMY SCHATZ
Staff Reporter of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
March 16, 2005; Page A1

HOUSTON -- President Bush wants to go back to the moon, but Houston has a problem: an acute shortage of fake moon dirt.

The White House kicked off a new space race last year when it announced plans for U.S. astronauts to return to the moon for long visits by 2020 in preparation for manned missions to Mars. In his latest budget, President Bush again increased the exploration budget for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

That means NASA now has the funds to design all sorts of new technologies to help sustain human life in space, from new, dust-resistant spacesuits to machinery that can extract water from beneath the moon's surface.

But to do all that, the agency will need lots of sooty gray fake moon dirt for experiments -- more than 100 tons of it. Unfortunately, NASA gave most of its old supply away years ago. The dirt it now has on hand fits neatly in a five-gallon paint bucket from Home Depot.

To meet the new needs, NASA is counting on help from a 67-year-old Texas professor who has become an expert in the unlikely art of making moon dirt -- and is possessive about his secret technique.

http://online.wsj.com/article_email/0,,SB111093623743580690-H9jg4NmlaB4opyranyHbKuHm4,00.html

[guinivere]

1. Sending Bush to the moon

for more dirt sounds good to me.

[underpants]

2. Well Bush did illustrate his "vision" when he proposed going to the sun

at night

[WoodrowFan]

3. you scared me dude

I thought this was going to be some lame "We didn't go to the moon" thread. WHEW/

[Orsino]

4. What, did they close down the studio...

...that faked the moon landings, or something?

[edbermac]

5. The moon landing was NOT faked!

And I will slap silly anyone who says it was...:grr: