Press Room

As a scientist, I believe we must first set the direction of the Space Agency on the proper scientific track. This includes redirecting NASA away from scientifically inane programs such as this Administration’s ‘vision thing’ of building a base on the moon as a way station to Mars. Landing on the moon involves no new science or engineering; we’ve been there, done that. Developing a human habitat on the inhospitable surface of the moon or Mars would be incredibly costly, as every component of construction and life support would have to be uplifted from earth. Should there even be a reason to send humans to Mars, it would take relatively little additional energy to reach Mars once the space vehicle has broken free of earth’s gravity. To allow the vehicle to be captured by the moon’s gravity makes little sense; it would first require significant additional energy for the vehicle to brake for a moon landing and then much more energy later to break free of moon’s gravity.

The value of man’s presence on Mars is questionable. The two rovers now exploring the Mars surface are exquisitely instrumented and are conducting collection and analysis of planetary material at an incredible level of detail. That anything more of significant scientific value could be learned by a couple of astronauts in space suits bopping about the surface of Mars is highly questionable. And after a manned visit to Mars, then what? This program would require an investment of many billions of dollars, with little to no reason to expect any payback of value.

There are two positive directions NASA could follow that would expand the human horizons beyond our capability to imagine, while providing unforeseeable progress in medical, chemical, physical and other research areas.

First, there are thousands of scientists who are clamoring for the opportunity to conduct research in the International Space Laboratory. This represents the basis for the development of a technical work force in Brevard to support the many and varied types of experiments that would be scheduled for the Space Lab. This work force would include specialists to support experiment design, others to support the integration of experiment components with Space Lab support systems, software designers and developers to support experiment data collection, and training of astronauts in the conduct of sensitive test procedures. It would require that the Congress fund the recruitment and superb training of a cadre of scientifically oriented astronauts sufficiently large to sustain a manning level of at least six to seven astronauts simultaneously in the Space Station, on a rotating basis.

The Congress would also be required to fund sufficient means of transport to support the necessary rate of transfer of men and materials between earth and the Space Lab, be it via the shuttle or some alternate vehicle. This would require the presence of numerous mechanics and technicians to perform delicate, critical vehicle maintenance functions, another component of highly paid employees supporting the space program.

Post experiment effort will require a variety of data reduction specialists, data analysts, technical writers, and specialists in translating the results of successful experimentation into practical everyday applications. The technical staff will also require a sizeable support staff, providing a further source of employment at attractive salary levels.

There is a ready-made market for all of this research activity in the universities, industrial research centers, and foreign governments that require research that can be conducted only in a space environment. While it would require government investment to launch this program, these projects should shortly become self-supporting, if not actually profitable.

The second area of growth for NASA would be in the direction of manned space flight. The space vehicles we currently possess will never allow mankind to go beyond near-earth excursions. But man’s dreams of space flight have always been in the context of deep space travel.

Deep space travel will require entirely new concepts in means of propulsion and totally redesigned space vehicles. The space vehicle design must be compatible with the selected mode of propulsion. It must also provide for the human necessities, including artificial gravity, needed to sustain a healthy human condition over a truly extended period of time.

NASA should establish project teams dedicated to solving the requirements for deep space travel. Such teams would require the talents of physicists, chemists, biologists, medical doctors, mechanical and electronic engineers, among others, with, of course, adequate support staff.

This beehive of high level technical activity would provide fertile ground for a full-fledged university right here in the Space Coast, offering graduate degrees in the sciences, engineering, business and management.

Imagine, if you can, the demands of a work force of such high technical achievement and high compensation. As Space Coast residents, their top requirement will undoubtedly be an educational system of unparalleled quality for their families. This will be followed by expectations for excellent libraries and cultural facilities, which, in turn, will create an environment that attracts more high tech, highly paid residents to the Space Coast. I believe that this NASA work force would represent a sufficiently powerful voice in the community to make these demands realities and the Space Coast the most desirable location to live in the nation.

This is a vision that is eminently realistic with results that will be of enormous benefit to all of us Space Coast residents. We need only the imagination and the willingness to engage in the fight to bring this vision to reality.

I have the vision and am ready to engage in that fight. I need only your support on November 2 to place me in that Congressional battlefield.

Simon M. Pristoop,
Democratic Candidate,
US House of Representatives
Florida Congressional District 15

Simon M. Pristoop of Indian Harbour Beach today announced his candidacy for the position of Representative to the United States Congress from Florida’s 15th Congressional District.

Mr. Pristoop holds a degree in physics from the University of Maryland. His professional career was directed almost in its entirety toward management of systems engineering and software system development programs for such national defense assets as radar, sonar, electronic warfare, missile systems and their related computer systems, among numerous other technical defense systems. Mr. Pristoop states, "As a scientist and engineer, my career has been one of dealing with facts, analyzing problems and developing solutions, exactly the type of experience needed in today’s Congress. Science and engineering must deal with objective truth, or systems will not operate; no missile ever flew whose design was based on ideology."

Included among Mr. Pristoop’s recent activities in support of the Space Coast community have been his role as a leader in the Florida State AARP Grassroots Program, a Representative for the Florida Silver-Haired Legislature, a Director for the Satellite Beach Lions Foundation, a member of the Senior Resource Alliance, Vice-Chair of the Brevard Democratic Party, an organizer of the Democratic Hispanic Caucus of Brevard and a member of the Moose Lodge. He has also been an occasional contributor to the letter and op-ed pages of Florida Today.

Mr. Pristoop notes, "This Administration has led our nation into a disastrous foreign adventure and into an equally disastrous fiscal condition, while its domestic policies put this Government at war with almost every segment of American society.

"In its foreign policy, the evidence is now clear that this Administration has intentionally lied this nation into a senseless war against a totally defenseless country that was no threat to anyone, destroying its infrastructure, and creating, in the absence of competent local forces, a hornet’s nest of terrorists pouring over Iraq’s borders from every Moslem nation in the Middle East. This situation is costing the American taxpayer over $1.5 billion per week, the lives of our sons and daughters who are fighting an enemy we can’t identify, whose intelligence is superior to ours, in a battle which will only become more costly and that we cannot win. Thanks to this Administration’s criminal rush to war under false pretenses, we have lost the alliances created over the past sixty years, we have lost NATO, we have lost the United Nations, and worst of all, the United States has lost the respect of almost every other nation in the world that knew the truth, and, in the past, saw the US as a bastion of justice, democracy and charity.

"The Republican Congress acceded to this rush to war and has so far committed some $166 billion for war and war reparations, most of which will support multi-billion dollar contracts for Halliburton and other mega-corporations friendly to the Administration. But the Congress refused to permit itself oversight to the expenditure of these tax moneys, refused to adopt an anti-profiteering clause regarding the expenditure of these tax dollars, and gave the Administration an incredibly free hand in spending those many billions of dollars.

From the Press Room

Elect Simon to Congress

ANNOUNCEMENT OF CANDIDACY FOR REPRESENTATIVE

FLORIDA CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 15