CIRCLE WITH A DOT

@chgowiz (I prolly should have run this poll on Twitter to check that...)

@htpcnz like SDI and the USSR. Intersting.....

@mastodonmigration To be fair though, a lot of the commercialization decisions pre-dated Isaacman.

I think the hope back then was to try to kick start space economy even though NASA was dangling the money.

@libramoon fair point.

@chgowiz So, as a side bet, do you think if Chinna beat us to the moon that US would double-down on their efforts to establish a base there? Would the American taxpayers and voters feel the continued urgency?

@JSteven Thanks for the detailed comments!

@david Haha! Yeah, if I could have two more poll options it would have been "Delighted, serves 'em right!"

Poll time!

Here is a quote from NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman (see: https://deepspace.social/@mike_malaska/116384128140587012

“If we wake up and we see our rival’s taikonauts on the moon before we’re able to return, the blow to American exceptionalism will be so damaging, the shock wave will be felt around the world.”

If China beat the US to the Moon, how would you feel personally?