Newt Gingrich Defends Space Exploration, Moon Colony During GOP Debate In Florida (VIDEO)

During the GOP debate in Florida Thursday night, CNN host Wolf Blitzer asked the candidates what they would do about the nation's foundering space program, an issue with significant implications for Florida, where many space missions launch.

"I'm not looking for a colony on the moon," Mitt Romney said, a clear jab at Newt Gingrich, who has been promoting lunar colonies and missions to Mars in recent days. "I think the cost of that would be hundreds of billions, if not trillions."

Gingrich said he would foster public-private partnerships with business leaders, and offer "a handful of prizes" to encourage individuals to seek accomplishments in space, noting that "Lindberg flew to Paris for a $25,000 prize."

"I'd like to have an American on the moon before the Chinese get there," Gingrich added.

Rick Santorum quickly poo-pooed the idea of expanding resources for space flight.

"We run a $1.2 trillion deficit right now ... and to go out there and promise great things and big ideas is not a responsible thing," Santorum said. "We have to start cutting programs."

"I don' think we should go to the moon," Ron Paul said. "I think maybe we should send some politicians up there sometimes ... I don't think we need a bigger [space] program. Health care or something else deserves a lot more priority than going to the moon."

When the questioning came back to Romney, he immediately attacked Gingrich's idea of public-private space partnerships, insisting that there is not and should not be any private-sector appetite for lunar occupations.

"I was in business for 25 years," Romney said. "If I had a business executive come to me and say they wanted to spend a few hundred billion to put a colony on the moon, I'd say, 'You're fired.'"

Comments

[panasianguy]

10:31 AM on 01/31/2012

Would Swingers move to the front of the line? This is a very important question for me!

[PatientZeroBeat]

12:45 PM on 01/30/2012

Kim Jong Newt can live in space for up to 100 hours without oxygen or warmth and can generate his own gravitational field.

[PatientZeroBeat]

12:41 PM on 01/30/2012

Send all the right wing extremists to the Moon and then have a "Space: 1999" event.

[PatientZeroBeat]

12:37 PM on 01/30/2012

The District of Columbia has been petitioning to be a state for many years. The idea that Newt would consider a theoretical future Moon colony to be a state before DC is ridiculous.

[yenrug65]

11:09 AM on 01/30/2012

How do you even respond to this ??

[helioszephyr]

05:11 AM on 01/30/2012

Hey, wait a minute, this is nothing new... he's ripping off Dr. Evil's strategy!!

Newt would install a huge laser weapon on the moon colony and zap China off the planet... and demand $1.2T in taxes from mid/low waged liberals to fill the deficit gap, or he'll zap California off the map.

[hammergonewild]

10:55 PM on 01/29/2012

Readying ourselves to screw-up another planet. Outstanding!

[80eight]

11:16 PM on 01/29/2012

I hope you're referring to Mars, because the Moon is... well... a moon.

[MChile124]

08:07 PM on 01/29/2012

lol at Romney "firing" more people #lessonsnotlearned
Also, I feel a little strange supporting something Ron Paul said, but he's right: health care is a much more immediate issue that must be dealt with. And unless something in Mars' atmosphere cures cancer, it should be a focus for a long time before interplanetary colonies.

[LiberalLee]

07:16 PM on 01/29/2012

Only if you lead the first wave of emigrants Neut...
Tell us all what it's like once you and Callista are there, and we'll think about it...

[NerdyStudent]

06:51 PM on 01/29/2012

Ugh, they put a politics story in the tech section again.

[jo smith456]

04:38 PM on 01/29/2012

Then, we'll set up a democratic system in the moon, where: moneyed-lobbyists are in political control, MSM will control the information, and Fed Reserve/banks will manage our economic resources, and the MIC is always warmongering... and, WE PAY FOR IT...

[ontariogirl]

03:03 PM on 01/29/2012

Can I begin a list of people I would like to send? A gesture of good will of course. :)

[GaryNOVA]

01:59 PM on 01/29/2012

I don't know. I don't like Newt and I won't vote for him. But it seems like we need another huge scientific accomplishment in order to somewhat bridge divisiveness in this country. it doesn't seem like all the bad of an idea to me, along side putting man on mars of course.

[disgustedcitizen]

01:53 PM on 01/29/2012

A moon colony would actually be a wonderful idea and I would support it totally, if Gingrich would move there - permanently - and take all the GOP, Teabaggers, and the Religious Right, (I understand there is some overlap with the other two), with him.

[Rich Cash]

12:43 AM on 01/29/2012

There's more than one reason to develop colonies in space.

1. A colony on the moon would allow the Chinese to develop weapons systems that would obviate the need for nuclear weapons. Once a moon colony is established, it's possible to develop rail-launched, rock-filled canisters the size of railroad cars that could be dropped on cities from orbit. All they would need are primitive adjustable fins, positioning thrusters, a cheap ablative shield, and a calculator sized software package.
2. We need to get part of our population off the planet. We're overdue for a life extinction event on earth, whether it's an asteroid or comet impact, a mega-volcano erupution, or a natural or man-made pandemic. None of these events may happen for hundreds or even thousands of years, but what if one of them happened tomorrow? What a shame it would be if our epitaph as a species were to read: "They had the technology to save themselves, but they lacked the vision to do it..."

[William Blomberg]

02:45 PM on 01/29/2012

If China, or anyone else, has the capability of creating such a rail weapon, why go to all the trouble and expense of building a space colony on the moon, if it is soley as a weapon's platform. You can just make an orbital platform for much less the cost and trouble.

Sorry, but that argument is a bit illogical. This race is only a fear-mongering us versus them, stop the commies from making a moon base pie in the sky type of argument. This is not an issue of whoever gets there first owns the moon forever type of thing. Sure, there will be lots of prestige involved, but this should be for science and exploration, and it should be to the benefit of EARTH, not of the US or China or Russia or where ever.

[Rich Cash]

09:07 PM on 01/31/2012

That rail system isn't economically feasible in Earth gravity. The 1/6 gravity of the moon makes it cheap. If you'd like to learn more about it, read "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" by Robert A. Heinlein. It's available at Barnes & Noble.

[jo smith456]

04:36 PM on 01/29/2012

you've been programmed by the MSM....

[Rich Cash]

09:15 PM on 01/31/2012

1. What is the MSM?
2. It seems as if you're the one who's been programmed. People like you who deny the potential for real-world mega-disasters and are willing to sit around the campfire singing "Kumbaya" rather than doing something to help avoid it are just as dangerous as the potential disasters we face.