Comments on: Nelson backtracks?

By: Robert G. Oler

Robert G. Oler — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:41:28 +0000

David Davenport yeah this is the problem

there is nothing I mean nothing after 40 years or so of drift that any American can look at from human spaceflight and say “that changes the course of The Republic in some manner that I can see”.

On the other hand cut five law enforcement officers and well one can notice.

I was at the local volunteer fire department “raise money” picnic…this area is pretty local to JSC although it is far more rural then our house in clear lake. anyway the VFD has just been turned down for a modern dispatch system that would link them on more then single channel VHF radios to all the other FD’s…and this was juxtapositioned with the word that about 1/2 billion dollars had been spent on a two minute test hop on Ares.

Predictable reaction.

Robert G. Oler

By: David Davenport

David Davenport — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:26:59 +0000

What the public thinks about NASA, Part X^n, from Barry Ritholz’s Big Picture financial blog:

ashpelham2 Says:

November 10th, 2009 at 9:46 am

I know there is significant waste in local and state governments, but itâ€™s nothing compared to what Federal government is doing. So, to me, that means state and local have less to cut out out of the budget, plus they are the providers of necessity services such as fire protection, water, sewer, trash, etc. One can only cut so far before those cuts get into necessary services, and the public starts to really notice. I mean, I donâ€™t notice if NASA gets itâ€™s budget cut, but I sure notice if nobody picks up our garbage full of diapers for a week or two.

Stimulate away!!!

http://www.ritholtz.com/blog/2009/11/state-local-taxes-plummet/#comments

By: NASA Fan

NASA Fan — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:46:51 +0000

The problem with a Heavy Lift vehicle development is that someday you have to put something in it that is Heavy. Which means somewhere along the line the President/Congress have agreed to a major development effort to the thing that is Heavy. Which means it probably was a controversial decision that would be reviewed by a future Augustine like Commission that would recommend yet another path because the funds aren’t there to develop the Heavy thing, and all other Heavy things that go with it .

And history repeats itself.

By: Robert G. Oler

Robert G. Oler — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:24:11 +0000

Ferris Valyn I do not know for sure about “heavy lift”.

There is a reason that a lot of people are talking about government heavy lift…I use to think that most heavy lift was a fools errand…then I had some talks with a person who is gone now, James Chestek…who convinced me otherwise.

I do not think NASA can do anything, much less heavy lift. I am not for sure that an affordable heavy lift is not impossible nor that it will not be needed

Robert G. Oler

By: Rand Simberg

Rand Simberg — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:50:24 +0000

Although I think heâ€™s wrong about heavy lift, IMHO.

As are all proponents of it.

By: Ferris Valyn

Ferris Valyn — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:47:11 +0000

Although I think he’s wrong about heavy lift, IMHO.

By: Robert G. Oler

Robert G. Oler — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 18:09:49 +0000

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/buzz-aldrin/why-we-need-better-rocket_b_351335.html

Buzz is coherent

Robert G. Oler

By: Rand Simberg

Rand Simberg — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:13:52 +0000

Rand, the people whom I refer to as the Internet Rocketeer Club are many things, but informed they are not. I do notice that you donâ€™t dispute the main point. No budget to do much more than smile and wave at the nice asteroid.

Ignoring your continuing fantasies about your imaginary friends, I do dispute the main point. Getting there is most of the cost. If it’s done sensibly, there are many useful things that can be done there within existing budgets. And you haven’t told us who “informed” you of your delusions.

By: Doug Lassiter

Doug Lassiter — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:49:45 +0000

“But Iâ€™m informed that there will likely be no budget to do much but stand off and look at the rock in admiration before returning.”

Kinda like what we’ve been doing on ISS for a decade? But at least ISS has allowed us to exercise and develop many many skills that will be useful for more ambitious space travel. The same can be said about the first missions to NEOs. It isn’t all about rocks.

On the other hand, we could be bumping our heads in tunnels on the Moon. Probably not admiring those rocks so much.

By: Robert G. Oler

Robert G. Oler — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:49:53 +0000

Actually what makes Mark Whittington’s arguments in support of Constellation and Ares seem nutty, is that at one point I KNOW he liked the book “The Future and Its Enemies: The Growing Conflict Over Creativity, Enterprise, and Progress ”

In his zest to defend all things Bush the last, a function I guess of him having been a zealot in support of that sad president…Whittington has forgotten the basic tenents of the book, that a creative free enterprise system should not lock itself into long term things which stifle “creativity, Enterprise and progress”.

“The Vision” does just that.

Good morning everyone. Great jog in the early Texas morning. I had worried that coming back I would get out of shape…actually things get better!

Long Live The Republic

Robert G. Oler