Aucbvax.5341 fa.space utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!space Mon Nov 30 03:23:08 1981 SPACE Digest V2 #45 >From OTA@S1-A Mon Nov 30 03:09:55 1981 SPACE Digest Volume 2 : Issue 45 Today's Topics: Re: Does anyone out there really care? Re: SPACE Digest V2 #44 Does anybody out there really care? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 29 Nov 1981 13:31:46-PST From: alice!sjb at Berkeley To: ucbvax!space@Berkeley Subject: Re: Does anyone out there really care? In-reply-to: JNC at MIT-XX I really care! You mentioned what's happening to kids nowadays. Well, I'm 15 and VERY into the space program. I think that we should be pumping more money into it, instead of cutting back almost every aspect of it to fund the STS program. Unfortunately, when I talk about it to some of my friends in school, I find that they really don't care -- whereas I have pictures on my wall of the launches and landings of Columbia, I find that most of them didn't even watch it on the evening news (let alone live)! I'd like to say something other than that, but, unfortunately, I can't. Adam Buchsbaum ------------------------------ Date: 29 Nov 81 15:42-PDT From: mclure at SRI-UNIX To: Space-Enthusiasts at MIT-MC Subject: Re: SPACE Digest V2 #44 Hello, I've been getting multiple copies of the SPACE digests now for quite some time. Can we cure this? ------------------------------ Date: 29 November 1981 20:38 est From: Tavares.Multics at MIT-Multics Subject: Does anybody out there really care? To: JNC at MIT-MC, Space-Enthusiasts at MIT-MC In-Reply-To: Message of 29 November 1981 06:02 est from Ted Anderson I can supply one modest data line in this area. Back when we were landing on the moon, membership in the National Association of Rocketry (a space modeling society) was around 3700-- its highest point. "Model Rocketry" magazine was selling in hundreds of hobby shops and, later, newsstands. Our national meet drew 300+ competitors. In the intervening years, our membership dropped. At its lowest point it was barely 1500. "Model Rocketry" tubed. National Meets did well to draw 100, counting spectators at times. Since the Shuttle hit in 1Q81, we've been busy taking advantage of the upswing. Our membership is now around 2500. National Meets are drawing around 150 (things are more expensive these days, of course). We again have a spacemodeling magazine back on hobby shop racks and it's selling well. And things still have a pleasant first derivative. All I've done is confirm thet interest in space, especially among the young (the modal age of spacemodelers in the US is 14), follows successes in the space program. Is it something the youngsters keep as they grow up? I think so. Didn't you? The problem may be that while "space kids" may be old enough to be Governor of California, they're not old enough to be running the Federal Government. Those "space kids" who aren't in government may be apathetic, but-- hey, it's the '80's-- you can't expect all of them to be space activists. At least they have warm fuzzies about space as opposed to being "if God meant man to fly" types. Anyway, when pollsters run those "do you think space deserves the funding" polls, who DO you think is out there answering "yes"? Things are NOT dim! ------------------------------ End of SPACE Digest ******************* ----------------------------------------------------------------- gopher://quux.org/ conversion by John Goerzen of http://communication.ucsd.edu/A-News/ This Usenet Oldnews Archive article may be copied and distributed freely, provided: 1. There is no money collected for the text(s) of the articles. 2. The following notice remains appended to each copy: The Usenet Oldnews Archive: Compilation Copyright (C) 1981, 1996 Bruce Jones, Henry Spencer, David Wiseman.