Posted on 10/20/2009 12:55:11 AM PDT by ErnstStavroBlofeld
The nation that made it to the Moon in 12 years now struggles to build a satellite in that time and is at risk of losing its preeminence in space.
Those words come from one of the top four space intelligence lawmakers on Capitol Hill, Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger, chairman of the House Select technical and tactical intelligence subcommittee, who spoke before an audience of some 1,200 intelligence practitioners and industry at the Geoint annual conference in San Antonio, Texas.
Ruppersburger noted that 20 years ago the U.S. had 70 percent of the commercial satellite market which is now down to 27 percent. The country faces serious risks to its launch industry, he said, noting that France continues to build new launchers and improve its technologies.
Their companies are getting stronger and ours are getting weaker, he said.
It isnt just commercial communications satellites and space exploration where the US is fading. A string of enormous and nearly complete failures in developing intelligence satellites has left the administration and Congress exceedingly wary of funding new programs, such as the new spy satellite program approved in April by President Obama. We cant afford any more failures, he said.
The Pentagon has gotten the message. We are going to have to stop having faith-based acquisition, said Gil Klinger, director of space and intelligence capabilities for OSDs acquisition and technology shop. The Air Force and the NRO, given an enlightened opportunity, will dig us out of this hole.
To address those fundamental issues, Ruppersberger convened a series of informal hearings to probe into just what went wrong and how to fix it.
He said there were several broad areas that needed fixing.
(Excerpt) Read more at dodbuzz.com ...
Ought is the right word. Until the US cancels/withdraws from the UN Space Treaty any private space enterprise is limited to LEO and that only on government approval.
Don't expect any major US space activity, beyond robotic missions planned under previous administrations. Hussein has better things to do, and places to spend our “scarce” dollars.
...”And manned space flight is a tremendous waste of tax-payer money.”...
We don’t need another hero? I think we do...a crew or maybe even a family.
...And manned space flight is a tremendous waste of tax-payer money....
We dont need another hero? I think we do...a crew or maybe even a family.
Sorry, make that a nuclear family.
This will mean that the Russians will have a monopoly in space.
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Seems like the Americans are just like the Spaniards in trying to maintain their “New World” empire.
Yeah, look what happened to the Armada.
I thought we quit the space race?
yup. i agree.
Sheesh, can’t I find just one person to disagree? ;-)
It’s not just NASA’s fault. If they fail, there is h*ll to pay from government busybodies that expect perfection. Live in that culture long enough, that’s what you become.
Only that our Armada is the Aircraft Carrier.
Sad, but probably true.
Though I still hold out hope.
Same here! Thank you.
“Its not just NASAs fault. If they fail, there is h*ll to pay from government busybodies that expect perfection. Live in that culture long enough, thats what you become.”
I think the same can be said of the relationship between the domestic auto industry and the government’s industry watchdog detail...The big problem is that there is only a very small fraction of them who can understand and appreciate the technologies quite like an engineer, scientist or doctor.
STOP THE MEDDLING!
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