Apollo, STS, Ares.

The Apollo program was what got us to the moon and helped set in motion the "super power" identity of America. The Shuttle (STS) is what's keeping America at the top of manned space missions. But what is next? How will we stay one step ahead of everyone else as the leader in space exploration? Well the future is here. NASA released last week a article about the Ares 1 rocket, the first of many rockets in the Constellation Program. NASA brought in more than 200 companies from all across America to help construct the engineering marvel. Cheaper to launch then the shuttle, and with a larger cargo capacity the Ares will quickly become worth the money spent on it. And with the completion of each stage in the Constellation Program, America, and human kind will become one step closer to deep space exploration and a Mars landing.
( http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/ares/nations_rocket.html )

Cuban Rocket Crisis?

While surfing threw the "Sci Tech" section of the online version of Fox News. I ran across an interesting article. (http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,424067,00.html?sPage=fnc/scitech/space) It was about Russia, and there resent involvement in Cuba. There is a possibility of a space center being built in Cuba. Not by the Cubans, but by the Russians. Sound Familiar? The Cuban Missile Crisis comes to mind. But is this possibility really a threat to America? If Russia was looking for a strategic military station near America would it matter anymore if it was “close” to us? It did during the Cold War, but today’s technology is far beyond that of the Cold War’s technology. The difference of a few hundred miles versus a few thousand almost doesn’t make a difference when today’s military missiles are involved. Not to mention the fact submarines can do that if that was their real intentions. Skeptics might not agree… But when looking at Russia’s decision from a scientific view there are advantages. Cuba is near the equator. NASA launches its rockets from Florida for a reason. So why is Russia considering building a space center in Cuba? For Military reasons? I really doubt it; but the idea has to be addressed. For scientific advantages? Much more likely, but along with this is another possibility. Are they simply being a thorn in our sides? Their actions in the past few months might point towards this. These are just three possibilities, and more than likely it’s a combination of the more than one reason. And after I post this more news will likely surface regarding this issue and opinions will change…