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Commented on SpaceX's Secret Sauce
Re: jupiter watcher's response to CadetOne's speculation: This is the crux of the whole argument to me. Can you hold on to the goal of Human Space Flight (as opposed to Government Agency Space Flight) when crucial steps seem so... -
Commented on Looking Beyond Low Earth Orbit
Great article. The way I see things, the big unknown in all of this is what a space based economy will look like, whether there can be one at all. Many people do not believe there can. Boeing, as a... -
Commented on Apollo on Steroids Redux: Big Rockets Are The Only Answer
It doesn't take much for anyone to 'speak out' and say just what Congress wants to hear. Personally, I wish Bolden would be more forthright about Congressional direction, but Congress is hawkishly looking for any sign of him not doing... -
Commented on Florida: No Space Pork Here - Only In Virginia
Pork? Ain't nobody here but us chickens.... -
Commented on OIG: NASA Information Security Does Not Fully Meet DHS Requirements
A risk manager writes ... I have no insider knowledge but I would say that the effort required for an organisation as diverse as NASA to comply with requirements of this nature is onerous and organisationally difficult. Configuration management is... -
Commented on NASA Studies Show Cheaper Alternatives to SLS
With SLS and the MPCV - a 21 day 'deep space' capsule if you can believe it - Congress has fully committed NASA to HSF irrelevance. NASA's only hope now lies in radical budget cuts. Whoever produced this study needs... -
Commented on Restoring Confidence in Soyuz
"An accident such as this would bankrupt them, while simultaneously putting our nation at an even greater disadvantage as a space faring nation." The first part may be quite true - a commercial entity may be bankrupted by adverse events-... -
Commented on NASA Releases Vesta Images
FWIW the Vesta story and images were on the national TV news (BBC) here in the UK. The national papers seem to have carried articles on it as well.... -
Commented on The Solid Rocket Lobby - and Utah - Have Been Busy in Congress
"...the Commerce Committee's bill has established certain requirements which the [Space Launch] System must meet. After speaking with experts in Utah, it is their conclusion that these requirements can only be realistically accomplished by using solid rocket motors." After speaking... -
Commented on The Economist Still Is Not Thrilled With Humans in Space
Speaking as a Brit I can assure readers that the Economist is written by sad teenage boys who were never excited by machines, astronauts or dinosaurs, couldn't do science, just scraped maths and didn't have girlfriends either. Economics was the... -
Commented on Did NASA Meet Its Congressional Data Delivery Deadline? (Update: Not completely)
As this plays out, I understand more and more the impossible hand Bolden was dealt when he accepted the job and the brave and determined way he has tackled it. If he had been content to continue the tradition of... -
Commented on Must See Video: XCOR's Jeff Greason ISDC 2011 Keynote Address: A Settlement Strategy for NASA
Compare and contrast this with the baloney produced by the the Senate committee charged with NASA oversight: "The 2010 Act lays out a carefully considered bipartisan vision of the best path forward for NASA. While recognizing the reality that NASA... -
Commented on Must See Video: XCOR's Jeff Greason ISDC 2011 Keynote Address: A Settlement Strategy for NASA
This is the level at which public debate is needed. (Never mind Which Rocket?) If this doesn't start that debate, maybe at least Jeff Greason has thrown his hat in the ring for the NASA Administrator's job when it comes... -
Commented on MPCV Is The New Way To Say Orion
Pitiful. Tell me this has to be some kind of political manoeuvre. No-one in NASA can seriously believe this is a deep space vehicle. Surely?... -
Commented on Gene Cernan Is Stuck In The Past
A understandable point of view if commercial space is a means to some end, albeit so vaguely defined. But if the objective is human exploitation of space then commercial space is the mission. Explorers like Cernan reached the moon, but... -
Commented on CCDev2 Press Conference
Given the evident enthusiasm and commitment of so many people in the 'new space' industry, whether they are right or wrong about their being a market for their wares, this has to be one of the most sad and cynical... -
Commented on Morpheus Hot Fire A Success: JSC PAO Is Incompetent
FWIW I think large organisations are prone to serious management flaws because everything is slaved to too rigid a programme meaning they cannot take advantage of the creative ideas of their workforce. What is needed is for management to respond... -
Commented on SpaceX Announces Falcon 9 Heavy Launch Date
Just for those who still can't work out the difference between new space and old space: 1. SpaceX is doing this development on their own dime, in the belief that they can create a market and get customers. (Nothing about... -
Commented on Congress Grows Tired of NASA's Foot Dragging
"Our message to NASA is simple: we need straightforward and clear projections on what is possible in human exploration" Sounds like Bolden's cue...... -
Commented on NASA OIG: Facilities and Spacecraft Vulnerable to Attack
An infosec risk manager writes.... Ahhh! It's that old deja vu feeling all over again. And wonderful to have the report published openly on the net. It warms the cockles of my heart to know that big organisations all still... -
Commented on The HLV Cost Information NASA Decided Not To Give To Congress
Geez does no-one get it? This is nothing to do with choosing an HLV design. Its about who gets to design it. Congress has said what it wants and everyone knows it stupid. But NASA cannot criticise Congress so it... -
Commented on Congress Rejects NASA's HLV Plans
So this is NASA and Charlie Bolden politely telling Congress that their plan is not affordable, realistic and sustainable. Kudos to NASA and Charlie Bolden. Braver than many.... -
Commented on NASA: It's Our Space Station - Not Yours
This is really the time for Charlie Bolden to step up and ensure that NASA implements the true spirit of this legislation. It's obviously in the best interests of NASA, the ISS and America to get more use, more involvement... -
Commented on Duct Tape and Rockets
... and it isn't a case of America competing with the Chinese. It's one small American company, amongst many, competing with Chinese, Russian and European governments. Doh!... -
Commented on Duct Tape and Rockets
"How appropriate. There was the shuttle sitting nearby on its pad, grounded yet again, and there was Falcon 9 flying straight and true. One represents a failed past and the other an unlimited future." Nice article but a tad negative... -
Commented on Obama's Space Policy - Good/Bad For NASA?
I agree with ThatNasaEngineer@KSC 100%. Too many people dreaming of what they could do if they had the money and not enough people dreaming of what they can do with the money they have. Apart from that, there are too... -
Commented on X-37B Returns to Earth
A question for the experts on this forum: once this thing has flown a few times and there is general confidence in it, what would be needed to adapt it for human use and what do you think that would... -
Commented on Creating a True Space Economy
ZGZT is no risk to the US government and increased incentive for the space industry. It's a no brainer. Everybody is skeptical about the prospects for space business but don't forget a) a whole bunch of shrewed entrepreneurs have put... -
Commented on Making The ISS Into A National Laboratory
Hooray! The ISS to have its own dedicated owners and its own purpose. All we need now is to split off a new department for the promotion and regulation of commercial space activities, with a remit to ensure, amongst other... -
Commented on Project M: Why is JSC Doing This?
"No logical reason for a bipedal robot on the moon" A human like, human controlled robot working on the surface of the moon. What could we want with one of those? We need support and funding for a real space...