It fails because it has no strategic direction, other than a general idea that somehow, "commercial" will transport people and cargo to LEO and NASA will do everything beyond LEO. His timetables for all this are vague to non-existent.
We had a good strategic direction with the Bush Vision and Obama cancelled that without any real thought. What I object to is that what is really a matter of simple federal contracting is being sold and promoted as a "new direction in space." It is not and to present it as such is a fraud.
But then, that's just what I would expect from this administration. What disappoints me is how so many so-called conservatives are falling for this BS, simply because of use of the magic talisman word "commercial."
Real commercial operates in a real world market and has a variety of real, paying customers. All SpaceX has is a NASA contract and a big-mouthed founder
Well all be waiting for Ms. Cincinatus to stop running her mouth, and start a new space exploration company of her own.
Lets us know when ya launch Ms. Cincinatus.
That is a strategic direction, and Musk is putting hardware in orbit. I don't give Obama much credit for that -- NASA should have taken that step in 1972. It was forgivable then, now it just plain stupid for NASA to attempt to develop a launcher and operate it any more than they need to build the trucks they drive around their facilities.
Obama cares about very little besides destroying this nation an organizing mobs to attack productive people. Dismantling the space program was just standard democratic politics: deny your predecessor a legacy. Of course he has no timeframe, he accomplished all he cared about the day he killed the Bush plan.
Real commercial operates in a real world market and has a variety of real, paying customers. All SpaceX has is a NASA contract and a big-mouthed founder
Have you even checked their launch manifest?