The Launch to Find Ourselves (article) by E D Phillips on AuthorsDen

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Reviewed on April 8, 2026

It's about time. In 1977, I was fortunate enough to attend a conference in Huntsville looking back at Sputnick in 1957 and looking forward to 1997…the 20-20 Conference.

A number of Werner Von Braun's German rocket scientists who worked with him on Apollo were there. They were very disturbed in their words, "We can't go back to the moon."

Werner and all of them haven't lived to see it. I am unfortunate to have. But I'm weary of a colony on the moon. People there will have to be cycled out often or suffer the consequences of radiation, dust, air leaks, loss of bone structure and other unknown maladies.

I love your paired questions. Can people in their right mind read them without wanting to do the right answer?

Ron

Reviewed by Odin odin@aflx.com

Reviewed on April 3, 2026

Wise observation with revelatory take away. When all is said and done, the monumental moon shot will most likely take back seat to Trump and his war... which I'm sure you're not aware of, a shot down F15 over Iran with two crew members missing. I have to say it: I'm so thankful for my health and for living here in southern Oregon, which continues to be a place of awareness, but not one that allows the world's hell to upset us to the point of stress on our health.

Reviewed by Patricia Hilliard

Reviewed on April 3, 2026

Thanks for posting this sensible article. Trump and company have cut money for health care, food, education and environmental cleanups of superfund sites. Yet, there's money for war and a trip to the moon. Sad mess this country is in. We've lost the respect of the entire world! Down with Republicans! Let's take this as an opportunity to rid ourselves of greed and hate!

Reviewed by Kalikiano Kalei

Reviewed on April 2, 2026

With all due respect, Ed, I opt (along with recently demised Paul Ehrlich and Dr. Warren Hearn) for the last option (extinction). Our species has had thousands of years of opportunity to come to some sort of mutually agreeable understanding on matters of not just peaceful but amicable agreement on 'Pax: Quo Vadis?'...all to absolutely no avail. Our species' collectively schizoid personality shows no sign of evolving beyond Freud's mutual Todestrieb concept now, or in the future. Religious faith or belief, alas, is no 'real' panacea for this Lemming-like drive to our eventual doom, either, since faith/belief is still an unproven, intangible hypothesis (only). Besides, any religion that is still capable of committing homicide over the question of whether 'Jebus Crisp' (sic) was black, white or pink, isn't worth even the most remote empirical consideration, here. Sic sunt durae frigidaeque realitatis facta! [For the benefit of our left-of-center religionist friends, 'Shut up and follow the science!']