Wednesday, February 24, 2010

A Lunar Visionary

Paul Spudis
The Once and Future Moon
Smithsonian Air & Space


Klaus Heiss & President Ronald Reagan

"Despite the positive spin from many in the space community, a return to the Moon is as far away now as it was six years ago, before the Vision. In fact, it’s actually farther away as much of the tooling for Shuttle parts that could enable the quick and relatively inexpensive fabrication of a moderately heavy-lift launch vehicle for the VSE are being mothballed or destroyed."

"Klaus’s work on the activities of lunar settlement will stand as a lasting contribution to the literature of space travel. We have too few clear thinkers in this business and we were indeed fortunate to have his informed and authoritative voice to help guide our journey out into the Solar System. We need others who can clearly see the importance of a sustained lunar return to step forward and pick up where Klaus left off.

"A growing catalog of the resources of the Moon continues to spill out. Much of this knowledge was gained through the vision and efforts of Klaus Heiss. I am grateful for his contributions and his friendship. Klaus will be with us in spirit as news of the Moon and its resources is presented at the annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference next week in Houston."

Read the Article, HERE.

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