Return to Space

So apparently Bush the younger is going to make a big announcement on December 17th concerning a return to the moon. I could get excited, I'd love to get excited except...

It would not be the first time a Bush has made such an announcement. Bush the Elder made one in his presidency - NASA went away and said they could give him everything he wanted (moonbase, mars base, new shuttle, space station) for a triffling $450bn. Given the ISS is costing in the realm of $90bn, that doesn't seem all that outrageous to me.

Of course the Libertarian space activists like Rand Simberg are not impressed - they want to see the private sector doing all of this. I'm not currently convinced the private sector is interested enough to fund it, even if the frankly magical price points the Libertarians talk about come to pass.

I strongly susptect that Bush will pronounce and then, like his old man, quietly forget.

More's the pity.

Today...

Maryse got her MBA results - 68%, she's a little peaved because there was a good chance she could get over 70% but her project tutor gave her a pretty so-so mark on the final project. Still, in my mind thats a pretty bloody good result and I'm very proud of her.

I'm just killing time waiting for the garage to call. The exhaust has been dangling loose for months but I've been reluctant to take it to a garage. I popped it in today and they reckon they can do a dodgy bit of repair work for me for £35 which seems perfectly reasonable. As soon as the car gets back we'll be heading over to London.

Tonight I will be at the Ton with Advil and Insantiy sauce for the deserving and then at 6am tomorrow morning I will be at Heathrow meeting the in-laws who are over from South Africa for M's graduation.

Amusingly enough the temperature difference for them between home and here will be a mere 30C. I hope they brought warm clothes.

I'll hope to see many of your this evening for some pre-Christmas cheer. Failing that, mine's a pint....