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Could moon outpost propel space travel? Fmr. Astronaut Leroy Chiao weighs in
What if astronauts were to return to the moon? Decades after man first landed on the moon, Space.com is reporting that it’s possible.
A space policy expert told the website that plans are in the works by NASA to travel back to the vicinity of the moon and create a manned outpost there in order to learn more about future deep-space travel. The manned outpost could eventually be used as a staging area for future missions to the moon. This morning on "Early Start," fmr. Astronaut and International Space Station Commander Leroy Chiao explains.
The specific location NASA has in mind for this outpost is an area of space beyond the moon called the "earth moon libration point" or E-M-l-2... The spot is further than any manned mission has gone before. Chiao explains that “a libration point is the point where all the forces on a space craft or an object are pretty much in balance and so it would take very little fuel to keep an object in that area.” “If you’re gonna build a station at one of the points between the earth and the moon, or beyond the moon,” Chiao says, “you would pick a libration point.”
But this location would be far more dangerous to an astronaut's health. “The radiation environment is much, much harsher,” and “you worry about solar flares...which could be acutely lethal.” So Chiao thinks building a manned tended base on the moon makes more sense.
The challenges in having a base beyond the moon are biomedical issues and figuring out “how do you keep astronauts healthy in that environment.”
“A station like that would help you to study that, but you’d also get the same effect on the moon,” Chiao says. “If you build a crew-tended base on the moon, you could also test other operational things. You could test your hardware, your habitats, your space suits, your rovers, operations concepts.”
This option would be more expensive though, Chiao notes. Tax payers would pay for the manned station. “NASA’s budget historically has been right around or less than 1% of the federal budget,” Chiao explains, however. “Even with that we’re able to do what we do.”
Three scenarios for fiscal cliff diving – Christine Romans explains
With just 53 days until the so-called 'fiscal cliff' goes into affect, Christine Romans is looking at three potential scenarios for how Congress could deal with it.
“We’re getting very close to it,” Romans says, “and policymakers are just starting again to lay out kind of the framework for how they’re gonna discuss it.”
The scenarios for resolving the issue include extending current policy for six months, falling off the fiscal cliff, and a grand bargain on deficit reduction. A new report from the Congressional Budget Office breaks down some of the bargain scenarios, including raising taxes on the rich.
“The CBO said just raising taxes on the rich…wouldn’t really hurt the economy all that much,” Romans reports. “That would seem to suggest that democrats are on the right track.” Plus, a new op-ed from Paul Krugman in "The New York Times" this morning argues that Obama should let the economy dive off the fiscal cliff.
“U.S. stock futures are down this morning,” in light of all this. “Early morning market watchers” are saying “they need to see more signs of progress on the fiscal cliff,” Romans says. “That’s why stocks are down.”
One family's emotional return home after Sandy – Susan Candiotti reports
Superstorm Sandy still has many families reeling in the Northeast, leaving them displaced or without power and heat in their homes. Nor’easter hit the tri-state area not long after the disaster and added fuel to the fire. CNN’s Susan Candiotti has been following the story and reporting the aftermath of both in coastal New Jersey. She speaks with one couple returning home after Nor’easter and Sandy.
Bill and Sue Kosakowski’s Pelican Island home took a fierce beating during the storm. Sue had decided to evacuate while Bill remained to ride out the storm alone until it was too much for him to bear. “I rode out the storm Friday morning. I said I couldn't take anymore because they turned the gas off,” Bill says. “That was enough for me and I told my wife I would walk across the bridge if I had to and I was getting off."
Candiotti accompanies the couple as they make their emotional return together for the first time after the ordeal. The sight stuns them, but Sue is grateful. "The house is stones and bricks and windows and glass. I thought I lost him and losing him would have just devastated me,” she says. “I don't know how long I could have gone on.”
Bill takes stock of their dream retirement home. “You expect to spend the rest of your life in calm and peace,” he says. “And in one felt swoop, everything washed away."
Obama gets emotional talking to campaign staff – Brianna Keilar reports
(CNN) – Video of President Barack Obama's visit Wednesday to his campaign headquarters in Chicago shows the newly re-elected commander in chief becoming emotional while heralding the hard work of his young staffers.
"I am absolutely confident that all of you are going to do amazing things in your lives," Obama says in the video, which was posted on his campaign's official Youtube page Thursday.
In his brief speech to the young crowd, Obama drew parallels to the work his team had just finished and the community organizing post he took up when he first moved to the Windy City at 25, saying his campaign team was "so much better than I was" at accomplishing their goals.
Toward the end of his five-minute-long remarks, Obama got choked up telling the staffers how proud he was of their hard work. The show of emotion – extremely rare for Obama – was met with loud applause.
This morning on "Early Start," CNN's Brianna Keilar shares the video.
The political path forward for GOP: Is more inclusive leadership possible? Richard Socarides and Lenny McAllister discuss
Fresh after the President Obama was declared president for a second term, many have been been discussing what’s next on Washington’s agenda.
The looming fiscal cliff is the major issue at hand, and the big question is whether or not Democrats and Republicans can work together to fix it. The White House released a statement saying talks have already begun with leaders in the House and Senate, and both Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Republican House Speaker John Boehner have made statements indicating some willingness to compromise in the wake of Tuesday night's results.
Richard Socarides, Former Senior Adviser to President Clinton and writer for the NewYorker.com, and Lenny McAllister, Republican Strategist and contributor to The Chicago Defender, join John Berman to recap the results of the 2012 presidential election of 2012, concerns regarding the GOP and minorities, and of course, the fiscal cliff.
McAllister feels the Republican party needs “more inclusive leadership” and “more visionary leadership.”
“In 2010, we ended up seeing a lot more diversity from the Republican Party in regards to the candidates and people actually winning elections, both Latinos and African Americans.” McAllister says. "I would like to see the same exact thing in 2013 moving forward, but this time not have it just be a trend, have it be an actual movement. That’s something that the Republican Party needs to do if we’re going to lead a diverse America in the 21st century.”
Within his own party, Democrats have made it difficult for President Obama to negotiate in his first term, especially on the fiscal cliff and budget issues. Berman asks Socarides how complicated it may be for the president to make a deal this time.
“People are gonna be a lot more willing to make a deal,” Socarides says. “The consequences of not having a deal are so big...everybody knows that Americans want the parties to come together.”
“I think both sides are gonna have to compromise and I think they will,” Socarides adds.
NJ battered by Nor'easter after Sandy – Susan Candiotti reports
Susan Candiotti on how New Jersey, battered by Sandy, is coping after a nor'easter dumped snow and rain on the state.
What does the fiscal cliff mean for your money? Christine Romans explains
This morning, CNN's Christine Romans looks at flat U.S. stock futures and the factors in Washington influencing them. The Dow dropped over 300 points yesterday, partly in reaction to President Obama winning the bid for a second term in office. But it’s also due to the looming fiscal cliff haunting Wall Street and the country. On "Early Start," Romans explains what Republicans in the House are saying to confront the fiscal cliff, and of course, what it could mean for your money.
“The stage has been set for some real progress on this,” Romans says. Republican House Speaker John Boehner has said House republicans are “willing to accept some additional revenues via tax revenue” in order to find “common ground,” but only if the president reduces spending to garner republican support. John Berman interprets this as “reason for optimism and hope for compromise, at least for today.”
The fiscal cliff means “huge tax increases and spending cuts” go in effect automatically in 54 days unless it’s fixed, Romans explains. “Nobody wants it to happen, it’s just how they’re gonna fix it, and who’s gonna give up more.”
VIDEO: Powerful nor'easter batters Sandy victims – Rob Marciano reports
Rob Marciano on the extent of damage from a nor'easter that dumped up to 8" of snow on areas hard hit by Sandy.
VIDEO: Compromise or confrontation in Congress after election? Paul Steinhauser looks at lawmakers's claims
Paul Steinhauser looks at claims of compromise from Speaker Boehner and Sen. Reid on avoiding the fiscal cliff.
Europe debt crisis, fiscal cliff lead to market sell-off – Christine Romans explains
Fresh after President Obama won a second term, U.S. stock futures fell flat. What was behind the big sell-off on Wednesday? Chrisine Romans explains the factors fueling skittish investors.
“They had the roughest day we’ve seen in more than a year,” Romans says. “Internal sectors were telling us that this was a reaction to the Obama victory.” Banks, insurers, coal and energy stocks, for-profit education and dividend-paying stocks were all down.
Romans explains that dividend payers were down because “the President has said he’d like to raise taxes on investment income.” “Many of those other industries...think we’re gonna have a more regulation and as the president and the democrats have promised, and that’s gonna cost more money,” Romans says, “so investors were at least making that bet yesterday.”
On the other hand, hospital stocks were up, “because the thinking on Wall Street is that Obamacare is finally, finally secure.” But the sell off over all was due to more than just the presidential election. Romans explains that the markets reacted to factors concerning Europe’s debt crisis, the fiscal cliff, and the debt ceiling.
