From: nospam@127.0.0.1   
      
   Robert Zubrin proposes using a modified crew Dragon and two SpaceX   
   launches (F9 and FH) with a rendezvous and dock in LEO with the Falcon   
   Heavy upper stage in order to do a crewed lunar flyby or a lunar orbital   
   mission this year.   
      
   The goal is to keep space alive in the public's imagination in order to   
   prolong the political will to do Artemis post-election regardless of the   
   winner.   
      
   OTOH it is hard to see, unlike with Apollo 8 and in the absence of any   
   follow-on hardware, where this is anything more than a publicity stunt.   
   In lieu of actually being able to land crew on the moon, in fact, having   
   to wait years more to accomplish this, might not reflect well on   
   Artemis. Compared to the Apollo Program. Which did exactly that 6 months   
   later.   
      
   There is also (always) the element of risk to be factored. In pressing   
   ahead to do this quickly.   
      
   We are at this strange stage in crewed space however. With some   
   acceptance of risk (and not that much more than that we faced with   
   Apollo) we actually have now IN HAND the ability to access cis-lunar   
   space with very little additional hardware or difficulty.   
      
   Its strange to be in a place where we no longer have to ask how only why?   
      
   Dave   
      
   https://www.thespacereview.com/article/3980/1   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)