@S1-A.ARPA,@MIT-MC:JHEIMANN@BBNA.ARPA (05/02/85)
From: JHEIMANN@BBNA.ARPA As the person who started the latest series of SDI messages, I would like to express my agreement with those who feel that discussions of whether or not SDI will work should be moved to some other mailing list. My point in the message I first sent was that regardless if one believes SDI will work as a defensive weapon, it is possible that SDI research lead to the deployment of strictly offensive space weapons. This should be of concern to those who would like to see space development procede in a peaceful direction. Whether we like it or not, SDI will probably get the bulk of US government space development money for the next decade or so. Civilian development of space will undoubtedly be strongly influenced by SDI, and not necessarily in negative ways. Where would we have been in the early years of the space program if von Braun had not worked on the V2, or if the Air Force had not developed the Atlas and Titan boosters (both of which were designed as ICBM launch platforms)? If we go ahead with SDI, then the space community is going to have to live with it. Ignoring it won't help. On the other hand, serious discussion of how SDI research efforts can be applied to peaceful development of space would be of great benefit. Large scale space ventures, at least in the foreseeable future, will be funded by the US government, and it is incumbent upon us as citizens (not to mention taxpayers) to exert influence to determine how space dollars are spent. It would be nice if Reagan just decided that SDI wasn't important and erecting a semi-permanent laboratory on the moon was, but for now I would suggest that discussions which are predicated on such a change of policy be restricted to the SF-LOVERS mailing list. John -------