Posted on 02/06/2010 8:58:52 AM PST by Prospero
I’m a defense engineer with over 30 years experience. I have worked on and off with NASA since the early 80’s. They have become an astonishing bloated, bureaucratic, risk-averse mundane organization. Several years ago the Air Force wanted to launch a simple satellite and they had (I’ll say) 1.4 million dollars. They went to NASA and NASA officials laughed and said they couldn’t conduct “The Study” for that much. So, the Air Force took their money to a couple of private companies, none of which had NASA experience. They launched their satellite and it was successful.
I think America would be better served if the present NASA was torn apart and re-invented using corporate models from Intel and Toyota. Barak The Destroyer may have done us all a favor by getting rid of NASA. Now if he’d take on the FCC, FAA, FDA and the rest of the alphabet soup of incompetent bureaucracies we’d all live better and more cheaply.
Yep, that balanced budget’s right around the corner.
Well, what’s the worst that could happen if a hostile nation put nuclear weapons in space?
I don’t recall hearing Obozo announce that we were pulling out of the international outer space treaty. All these fantasies about privatized space are exactly that till the treaty is gone.
I’m sure Obozo is happy so many are taking heavy slugs from the jug o kool aid.
The space program is the only kind of jobs program that has a chance of working. It is a trickle down type of program. You hire a lot of smart, expensive, people to look into building the future. These people need an extensive layer of support. The microprocessor is a legacy of JFK’s space program. The internet, contrary to Al Bore, was an initiative of DARPA.
EMP
“They(NASA)have become an astonishing bloated, bureaucratic, risk-averse mundane organization...”
....I agree...a close family friend retired from there a while back...the energy that once made NASA the envy of the world has long since gone...the goal became self perpetuation....they’ll have plenty of work now though...Obama has directed them generate numbers to prop up his Global Warming agenda.
You know.... thats exactly it.
We spend the money in research, R+D on a spade program, on the internet.... we make a substantial investment and Obbie just gives it away.
Totally financially irresponsible. Equally politically irresponsible as well.
Why should America pay for it and give it away?
How many other things are the same... where he is giving away America?
What a asshat! He has no respect for capital, specially America’s!
Kinda like sending Louis and Clark out on their expedition to collect info and then giving it to Great Britain.
50+ years of leadership in space ditched for reparations. Look what you’ve done, America.
Lets get this straight dear readers: Whoever controls near Earth space controls the Earth for at least 1000 years or longer. We are determining the long term future of mankind.
NASA itself requires an overhaul. It is very bureaucratic and unresponsive. (Recall that all generalities are false) NASA still has lost its edge, and it does require a major shakeup.
or chavez
I would be really surprised if WE did NOT have nuclear weapons in space, or the platform to do so. Would you?
Don’t need nukes in space. All you need is a rail gun or a way to lob big moon rocks at the earth. Lob a big enough rock, and it will be just as devastating as a nuke.
“....you might as well do something which serves the national good and which individuals could not accomplish by themselves.”
The Socialist Left of which Obama is representive is NOT the least bit concerned with the “National good”, only their agenda for controlling our money to use for the purpose of establishing their Socialist Society. They have no illusions of freedom, and Democracy.
Or as LBJ put it, “The Roman Empire controlled the world because it could build roads...The British Empire was dominant because it had ships. In the air age, we were powerful because we had airplanes. Now the Communists have established a foothold in outer space. It is not very reassuring to be told that next year we will put a better satellite into the air.”
While I agree that NASA is increasingly expensive and decreasingly productive, and I agree with a lot of your points, I do have to say how sad it is that this administration is so happy to cut the only America-affirming, American-exceptionalist of all the government agencies short of the US military. It’s like he wants to get rid of anything that addresses the US and glory.
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