Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 (Tek) 9/26/83; site tekig1.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!mgnetp!ihnp4!zehntel!dual!amd!decwrl!decvax!tektronix!tekig1!mikeha From: mikeha@tekig1.UUCP (Mike Van Handel) Newsgroups: net.columbia Subject: RE: Why Space? Message-ID: <1725@tekig1.UUCP> Date: Thu, 9-Aug-84 00:00:37 EDT Article-I.D.: tekig1.1725 Posted: Thu Aug 9 00:00:37 1984 Date-Received: Sat, 4-Aug-84 01:40:52 EDT Organization: Tektronix, Beaverton OR Lines: 37 #nonblank It may not be possible to convince Joe Average of the benefits of continued funding of NASA and research in space, generally. Still, an attempt should be made. For "ammunition", I refer Mr. Brandt to "the dean of space-age fiction". Robert Heinlein has made a living of pointing out in many not-so-subtle ways that the exploration of space is one of those rare government-sponsored projects that has created more wealth than it has consumed, one way or the other. Apropos (and, most especially apropos) Mr. Average's preference for having his medical care subsidized, see "Spinoff" in Heinlein's _E_x_p_a_n_d_e_d _U_n_i_v_e_r_s_e (c. 1980, Robt. Heinlein, published by Ace Books, N.Y., NY) The article is primarily an abridgement of Heinlein's testimony before the House Select Committee on Aging and the House Committee on Science and Technology on the subject of "Applications of Space Technology for the Elderly and Handi- capped." Heinlein points out a number of the life-prolonging medical spinoffs of space technology, rather colorfully illustrating his points by relating the use of these spin- offs in the case of a medical problem of his own. Joe Average might consider what another ten years of life is worth. No, I don't mean ten years of decrepitude, but ten healthy years made possible by a technology that would not exist but for the space program.