Say 2+2=22 enough times and cracks (or crackpots) appear- viewers begin to question the validity of the mathematics they were taught and the competence of the educators who teach it. This is the same broadcast organization which broadcast a program about how NASA faked moon landings– and secured sponsors to pay for it.

“I think the military want a space fighter plane.”

I do not think the military wants a space fighter plane, I think they want a boots on the ground, special forces squad, anywhere on the planet space plane, like SUSTAIN.

I do not think that the Ansari X prize would have went forward without a green light from the military.

Commercial and private citizens have never had a transportation system that was denied to the miltiary.

Because of the anti weapons in space group in congress they have not allowed it to happen.

Once America is comfortable with Virgin Galatic and seeing suborbital, it will be no big stretch for the military to have them also.

lol, you think wrong. where do you come up with that stuff??

“Human spaceflight must survive if for no other reason than for military purposes.”

You’re just making up excuses now.

If anything the military is moving away from manned systems and over to UAV’s. Besides their experience with Predator and Global Hawk, the X-37 looks like the direction they are going in space for special ops.

“the current “industry” has to die to allow the new functional one to be born”

Neither the current (or old) nor the new industry is ready. Nope. The whole system is not ready. If Congress has its way it probably never will be ready.

Oh well…

Take a close look at their website, and look up the research. Astrogenetix is a subsidiary of Astrotech/Spacehab. They sell microgravity research services, not pharmaceuticals. The one scientist on their staff does have over 100 publications, but only 10 relate to space and virtually all seem to have been financed by NASA grants, not by corporate funds.

This doesn’t mean NASA doesn’t do useful research, it certainly does. But most NASA research is not in life sciences, and most NASA life science research is done on the ground. Space research can have value, but not infinite value. If the cost of human spaceflight can be reduced, microgravity research could be a reasonable choice for a number of life science problems. But at $50 million+ for every person launched into space, considering what can be done on earth for that money, it is not easy to justify.

@ Robert G. Oler wrote @ September 4th, 2011 at 12:00 pm

I should have added that the industry is not really ready either…………

I concur completely…the current “industry” has to die to allow the new functional one to be born RGO

I should have added that the industry is not really ready either. There must come a change of mentality overall. Not just at NASA.

You don’t have to believe me but try a little inquiry of your own and you’ll see.

“There are clear signs that NASA’s technology base is near nothing…””

Robert, I think that it is an overstatement.

NASA’s technology is very advanced on its own. The problem does not lie with the technology. And you said NASA not ISS so did you actually mean ISS or NASA as a whole?

There are multiple reasons why some of the more advanced technology at NASA do not go mainstream. One of which is that NASA is NOT a business and it seems to me they don’t really know how to act as such.

The laws from our dear Congress also are an impediment. We like to quote ITAR which probably is the most obvious but there are instances of how NASA MUST conduct itself with regard to businesses that are a huge impediment.

Technology transfer is difficult. Scientists and engineers are not really ready to do any of that. They do not have an incentive to do it. The incentive MUST come from the leadership.

I do not want to give specific examples here if you don’t mind but you may be able to figure this out by asking some of your friends, maybe.

Note further that NASA is made of different centers and technology incubation may reside at the research center. Unfortunately you may try and find out where the “technology” budget went to recently… Just check if you can. A lot of people are losing their raison d’etre at the flight centers if you see what I mean.

NASA is a political punch bag in many instances. The relationship with industry exists but mostly in the classical sense, e.g. wind tunnel tests for such and such. There are other less known opportunities but they are difficult to come about.

You may want to start here http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/home/index.html and here http://www.nasa.gov/offices/oct/partnership/index.html

I leave the rest to NASA and to you to try and figure out…

Again some people at NASA do get it. Remember FY11.

Good luck though.

Another clue for you http://newspace2011.spacefrontier.org/ Check the attendance and location.