NASA to open first lunar RV park?
12/08/06

NASA made a couple of pretty surprising announcements this week; number one, they say the United States is going to the Moon again. Announcement number two was an even bigger zinger: not only are we going – cancel the paper and stop the mail because we’re staying!

According to a news story Monday, NASA will use two vehicles to get to the moon— the Orion exploration vehicle and an attached all-purpose lunar lander that could touch down anywhere. Now, you tell me that this isn’t a letter perfect description of a 24-foot Winnebago towing a Chevy Silverado.

Of course there are a few differences – for starters, the Orion will be driven by an astronaut and not snowbirds from Minnesota on their way to the Valley. Plus, the Orion probably won’t be plastered with “Ask me about my grandbaby” bumper stickers. Also, the spaceship won’t be blocking the passing lane while younger astronauts behind it flash their headlights and try to pass.

A statement by NASA exploration chief Scott Horowitz confirms my suspicions by comparing the lander to a pickup.

“You can put whatever you want in the back. You can take it to wherever you want,” Horowitz said at a news conference in Houston.

Sounds like a pickup to me. Stick a gun rack in that bad boy, slap on a decal of Calvin peeing on a Ford logo, and you’ve just described about 97 percent of the trucks in Texas.

NASA said it will set up an international base camp in the year 2020 and have it permanently staffed by 2024.

The permanent settlement is a pretty bad idea, but what is sure to follow will be even worse. Think about it – do we really want a Luby’s in space?