Digressing, for once, from a direct discussion of the optimal direction for the space program, I note that another imperfect science is the production of “news”, to wit:

He wants to know (if they are) planning on transferring any work to Kennedy Space Center to help minimize those losses.” (Such transfers would seemingly result in job losses at other centers, raising the ire of other members of Congress, but this side effect isn’t explored in the article.)

Why do news organs (an appropriate comparison since Floriday Today often reminds me of an appendix) report so shallow-ly? Is this a good direction, to encourage one area to define victory as moving jobs to your area, rather than generating new opportunities? As Space Politics points out – if those jobs move TO that area, where do they move FROM? Why don’t the news organs ask the next logical question?

Not that the Houston Chronicle is any better of course.

One problem that even NASA has recognized is that the various Centers compete and not always in a positive manner. For good reason, the One NASA initiative was created. Should Florida’s gain be Alabama’s loss? Or Texas’ loss?

A related topic is, as Rand pointed out here, the need to spread jobs around. A truely commercial operation would centralize launch preparation, training, etc etc. For good reason, flight control was first done from Florida, before moving to Houston.

Anyway, reporters often show more regional loyalty than news analysis skill; probably the editors realize that they need to sell ad space. Too bad we could not have flown Anna Nicole Smith and Michael Jackson on the Shuttle, that would have been NEWS. Maybe Christi Brinkley might yet be available??

Or at least, there’s no prospect for federal space policy to do anything about that. The best we can hope for is that they’ll stay out of the way of those who actually want to accomplish goals in space.

after 2010 the Shuttles can be modified to fly CREWLESS and FILL the GAP between 2010 and the first Orion launch in 2016:

gaetanomarano.it/spaceShuttle/spaceshuttle.html

then, they can be further modified (to be SAFER for the astronauts) and used for ALL the cargo only and crew+cargo ISS missions until NASA/USA will withdraw from the ISS program in 2020:

gaetanomarano.it/articles/015safeShuttle.html

so, the new Orion and its launch rockets could be opimized and used ONLY for Moon missions… maybe, developing a bigger and better Ares-5 to land much more cargo (than planned now) on the Moon:

http://www.ghostnasa.com/posts/031poorcargo.html

this way, NO JOBS WILL BE LOST

.