2002-06-26 - 10:48 a.m.

Near Miss

Not that I�m freaking out, but it is interesting to learn that a learn PHA (potentially hazardous asteroid) passed within 1/3 of the distance from the Earth to the Moon less than two weeks ago. It is even more interesting to read that scientists didn�t know about this asteroid or how close it had come to the Earth until 3 days after its near miss. Apparently the last near miss was in 1994.

This is interesting to me for many reasons. One, I grew up in Houston, Texas. In fact, my high school was less than a quarter of a mile from the back gate to NASA. I should point out that my kid sister was friends with one of the Challenger Astronauts back when it exploded (I can�t remember the year, I just recall being in Jr. High.

The space program was a big deal in Houston, Texas. Naturally tons of my schoolmates had parents who worked for: (1) NASA, (2) a defense contractor, or (3) a refinery. My folks were odd in that neither of them was an engineer or scientist. But it is of little wonder that I became an engineer. I can still remember when my folks woke me up in 1979 at 3 AM in the morning so I could go to the neighbor�s house and look at Saturn�s Rings and moons! Our neighbor was a medical doctor, but instead of having a garage full of tools, he had all sorts of telescopes, computers, and other nerd toys.

I would have liked him, if he didn�t have a daughter my age that wanted nothing more than the flirt and have a boyfriend. But in 1979 girls were a waste of time. I�d say icky, but back then girls were easy to handle, none of them could run or climb as well as I could, so I could always get away.

Near Miss

Still, I wonder if in my lifetime if the human race will set foot on the moon again. Is there real scientific knowledge to be gained on the moon? No, I don�t think so. Is there real engineering knowledge to be gained in the process of going to the moon? You bet! I doubt any of you would be reading my diary on a home PC that is as fast as it is today if not for NASA. Oh, computers would have come about, but NASA and the Internet are both products of the cold war. It is really funny to think that most of Engineering�s finest moments typically are driven by warfare or political battles. Humans don�t really stumble upon massive inventions (well, maybe the steam engine) when we aren�t worried about something.

And maybe if there are a few more near misses, people will also agree that human colonization on Mars or the Moon might be worthwhile. I know, there are starving people and countries that are on the brink of war (India and Pakistan and the entire Middle East come to mind). But if more people were forced to realize just how small this planet is, maybe they�d be more likely to work things out. As for the people who follow those people, I think again that advancements in science and technology lead to similar advancements in independence and thought.

Would I Leave?

If an international organization were created and announced that it would build a colony on the Moon or Mars, would you volunteer? What if it was announced that people volunteering for this mission would remain on Mars for the rest of their lives? Would you volunteer?

I would. I�m a hydrologist by education. My water quality skills would be worthless on either colony. But I think with a year or two of training that I could easily do other things. If the Mars expedition was to begin terraforming Mars, then I already have the basic civil engineering knowledge necessary to support any industrial process there, and I have the Earth Sciences background to understand the basics of those devices.

I�d leave, but I�d miss some things. But I would adapt.

LISTENING TO: Pain Station Cold

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