Ed Griffith

Recent Actions

• Commented on Stratolaunch Systems Unveiled

  As a pilot the fastest and highest I have ever flown was in the 1970s at 15,000 feet and 150 knots. (172 mph) I was well over the Rockies and very impressed with myself. I remember thinking then that if...

• Commented on The OMB Staffer Who Is Holding Up Mars Mission Decisions

  My concern is there seems to be reluctance to cooperate with other countries combined with refusal to allocate enough funds to go it alone. You can't have it both ways and still have a viable and competitive space program....

• Commented on Is Something Wrong With the Drill on MSL? (Update)

  If true, there is not a lot of excuse. The MSL has already been delayed two years because they were not ready in 2009....

• Commented on The OMB Staffer Who Is Holding Up Mars Mission Decisions

  If true (and it might not be) this is profoundly stupid. We do not have the willingness to go it alone and now is a very poor time to cut back on space exploration when we are already behind the...

• Commented on YouTube Fail - Blocks NASA Video

  BBC notwithstanding, you got the news out and that is a good thing. I think it is good news for both the United States and Russia. I hope we will learn the lesson about developing our own space capability. I...

• Commented on Former Astronauts Make A Case For Commercial Crew

  Steve is absolutely right that we have "ceased to be the world’s number one spacefaring nation." On a long term basis, I am not sure we are even competitive - let alone superior - to Europe, Russia, and China. Pretending...

• Commented on Canada Is Pursuing Space Cooperation Treaties with Russia and China

  Sounds like a reasonable way to keep all options open with a limited budget. We should at least be open to these options instead of insisting going it alone is the only way to go....

• Commented on Progress Launch Boosts Soyuz Confidence Level

  Not everything translates into being for or against Obama. Since 1973 no presidential administration or congress has been enthusiastic about NASA or followed up on a vision. Future projects were always for the next administration. Musk, not Orion or another...

• Commented on Progress Launch Boosts Soyuz Confidence Level

  This is good news for both Russia and us. I do hope Congress is not so blind, however, not to fully finance Musk's effort for U.S. manned flight. It makes no sense either economically or technologically to keep financing Russia...

• Commented on Bolden's Plan for Webb

  You can't cut from the "science sector" without damaging NASA. No cuts are ever made to institutional sectors of any federal agency. I hope I am wrong, but it sounds like more smoke and mirrors....

• Commented on NASA and ESA Can't Agree on Mars Strategy

  A tougher economic climate should mean more reasons, not less, to cooperate with ESA and China....

• Commented on Bolden is "Rooting" For Chinese Success in Space

  "Why would anyone root for Chinese technological and economic domination in space?" Nobody is, we are saying cooperation might be good for both of us in some areas. "China is way behind the US in space technology." No it is...

• Commented on Bolden is "Rooting" For Chinese Success in Space

  Gosh, I actually agree with Bolden on this! There may be many things to fear from the Chinese, but peaceful competition in space is not one of them. Congress is apparently of the opinion that we should never cooperate with...

• Commented on Griffin, Armstrong, and Cernan Vs White House/NASA Once Again

  We have been in low earth orbit since 1973 - almost 40 years and it will probably be 50 years before we leave LEO again. It would have been nice if these "heroes" would have spoken up before another generation...

• Commented on James Hansen Arrested For Yelling

  "Like Keith, I happen to agree with his opinion on this, however this stunt is a bad deal for climate change science, scientists and NASA... Scientists do science and politicians do policy." So how has that worked so far? It...

• Commented on Restoring Confidence in Soyuz

  The NASA website has a Space X scheduled to launch to dock with the ISS on November 30 of this year. That means to me they could start delivering cargo early next year. In addition to Soyuz coming on line...

• Commented on Progress Failure Prompts Call To Increase Commercial Space Spending

  There is no good reason - none - not to have already funded the crewed portion of Falcon 9 regardless of Soviet failures. It is potentially both the fastest and cheapest way to get back in the game of manned...

• Commented on Technology Demonstration Missions Announced

  All three are great and exciting IF they follow through and are not canceled like the Jupiter Icy Moon probe and many more to pay for a NASA bureaucracy or over budget projects like the Webb telescope. NASA always looks...

• Commented on SpaceX and Valador Settle Out of Court

  "In the face of hard evidence, fabricated rumors meet their deserved fate." If only it happened more often!...

• Commented on NASA Needs To Go To Priceline.com

  -We do not need an emergency escape system from the get go - most of the shuttle flights lacked one. -The shuttle had quite a bit more money spent on analysis and testing before that first flight than I suspect...

• Commented on NASA Needs To Go To Priceline.com

  Finance Falcon 9 for human flight right now - today! We do not need an emergency escape system from the get go - most of the shuttle flights lacked one. We simply are not serious about human space flight if...

• Commented on Official NASA Shuttle Talking Points

  Gee, this would have been really nice to know in 2004. This train has been headed down the wrong track for decades, I would argue since 1973. The question is if we are going to make some hard decisions now...

• Commented on Save Webb Campaign Begins (Update)

  "I don't know of any NASA mission that was on-time and within budget that was cancelled to pay for a different one." projects to make the ISS or shuttle more usable, JIMO, missions to Mars, more ion propelled satellites, etc....

• Commented on Save Webb Campaign Begins (Update)

  Some projects stick very close to their budget. The problem I have with Webb and NASA is those that don't and become outrageously expensive and late are rewarded by being allowed to continue. Those that are on budget and on...

• Commented on Last Minute Plea To Not Retire Shuttle Fleet

  The last time we were out of low earth orbit was 1973 - almost 40 years ago! We greatly diminished our manned and unmanned satellite program. We could have used these patriots to speak up when we had more money...

• Commented on NASA Delays Low-Flying Plane Flights

  "postponed to allow more time to increase public awareness of the flights." In other words there is a technical reason NASA does not want to admit or somebody wants to get republicans to like them by delaying research which would...

• Commented on More Bad News for Orbital

  If a launch vehicle fails twice to put a needed satellite in orbit for the same reason (fairings) then it is right to re-evaluate options before making the third satellite....

• Commented on TEA Party Releases Space Platform

  I am skeptical but open depending on specific recommendations. If all they can come up with are vague generalities then that will further isolate them from the adults in the room....

• Commented on Cuts To NASA's Exobiology Program

  "NASA should look for nickels in somebody else's couch." Could not have said it better! By eliminating new and exciting science and research to maintain old legacy projects NASA is keeping itself in a tail chase of ever declining budgets....

• Commented on The NPOESS "Headache" Just Got Worse

  I understand space is hard and I understand this may be a coincidence, but I am worried about our ability to fully measure climate change. Bush postponed weather satellites and under Obama we have lost two satellites at two different...