Maxwell

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• Commented on Should Congress Design the Next Big Booster?

  Say you've been buying all your cars from salesman A since the 60's. Salesman B walks in and says "I can sell you cars for 10% the going cost!". It sounds like a great deal... but can you say that...

• Commented on Send More Money - Or Cut Something Out

  Moon rocks, experiments, samples, they are all more valuable than used plumbing pieces. We may be able to make a reusable capsule, but if the cost of refurbishing the thing is anywhere near equivalent to the cost of a brand...

• Commented on Send More Money - Or Cut Something Out

  Cost of the equipment saved by reusability pales in comparison to the cost of putting it in space, especially for a lunar mission. Doubly so if, out of safety concerns, you're going to have to strip the CSM bolt for...

• Commented on More Insight Into FY 2011 Budget for NASA Commercial Activities

  Isn't this also the kind of language needed to provide direction? What kind of HLV, how much power does it need, where do we source parts and technical skill from, what are our expectations from outside developers, etc... Granted that...

• Commented on Dryden Seeks Ethnically Diverse Cylons

  The female robot should stay home and knit circuit boards. (Am I the only one who thinks it would be cooler if the robots just looked like robots?)...

• Commented on More Insight Into FY 2011 Budget for NASA Commercial Activities

  Obama's plan was vague and slowly becoming at odds with his earlier stated goals. I understand that its hip to call any kind of government spending "pork", but this new plan is an alternative to something that was growing a...

• Commented on New NASA Online Game Snubs Macs And Other Operating Systems

  I think the real challenge is getting by without the usual MMORPG vices of combat and trade, but to still have a "fun" game. There's no question that this can scale up. What you've got so far here is one...

• Commented on New NASA Online Game Snubs Macs And Other Operating Systems

  ...You can play games on a mac? (yes, I'm kidding) I did read somewhere that steam was supposed to be developing a mac compatible version, but I'm not sure if that means all the games will port over. Also, if...

• Commented on Senate Prepares To Throw Road Block At NASA Policy

  The problem is Obama's policy is at odds with itself. Its throwing out an HLV, a base, a lander, and all the trimmings in favor of a smaller more efficient program... but oh, by the way, lets only save the...

• Commented on Cernan Calls On Bolden To Resign

  I think he just did it to bring some attention to the situation. Fact is that NASA is straying from its mission of exploring air and space technology to become another diplomatic shoehorn for the Whitehouse. It might be a...

• Commented on Progress 38 Has Telemetry Glitch

  What incidents like these should do is give us some perspective on the longevity of any outpost, and help us carefully consider our long term goals in space....

• Commented on White House on Space: Ready, Fire, Aim

  To many people the Apollo era symbolized visionary leadership, bold exploration, and globe shaking change as the technology of science fiction became real. In a desperate attempt to not repeat Apollo, it looks like we're going to repeat the shuttle...

• Commented on Congress on CxP: Lots of Talk But No Real Action

  Wouldn't that depend on how that money is earmarked? If none of it goes to keeping the right staff on the books, equipment in the shops, or facilities open, then there won't be much of a decision to make when...

• Commented on Its Getting Harder To Stop Constellation

  "Work has already stopped." Isn't that a bit like arguing against commercial manned space because work has not yet begun? In the case of constellation there was a good bit of equipment, staff, and infrastructure already existing or in the...

• Commented on Commercial Space Supporters Respond

  The thing that concerns me is the rush for killing off existing spaceflight systems in order to accelerate the development of commercial options. If the commercial proponents are correct then they should be "fully funded" on a pittance of what...

• Commented on John Glenn Pushes for Shuttle Extension

  There will be finger pointing with any accident of any launch provider. What makes the Soyuz, with its decades of service, more prone to fail than a commercial startup? I'd be more concerned with people overusing the "cost" argument. Lets...

• Commented on Going Nowhere and Everywhere

  Going to the moon is not a order that requires much detail. Telling someone to do what they do faster, cheaper, and better, is. So far we've been doing business the usual way and the prices for conducting any kind...

• Commented on Why Isn't The Rest Of America Upset About This?

  Most Americans didn't know we were going to the moon six months ago, so how can they be outraged now that we're not? Few of that group can say to be concerned by the apparent Constellation price increases (aside from...

• Commented on Falcon 9 Nails Orbit - First Stage Slams Hard into Atlantic

  ...I really don't want to think there is that much animosity between engineers. Yes it would have been politically convenient for some if the rocket blew up, but everyone understands the first time out with a new ship means dealing...

• Commented on Falcon 9 Nails Orbit - First Stage Slams Hard into Atlantic

  Constellation and Orion were on a different path. They had to meet their own set of safety and mission requirements which made for very different problems. Its not like they wanted the thing to be over budget or behind schedule....

• Commented on Falcon 9 Nails Orbit - First Stage Slams Hard into Atlantic

  Not to feed an obvious trolling attempt but, technically speaking, parachutes only partially failing after an expected overload situation is less of a problem than parachutes not working at all. ...but I've never been a fan of reusing things that...

• Commented on Failing Queen Visit 101

  People like Griffin, former astronauts and engineers are associated with NASA and its past accomplishments or failures. So when they speak the media is listening based on their perceived rank. When your title begins with "former administrator", you're going to...

• Commented on Video: South Park Review of Obama's NASA Plan

  "Could it go wrong, of course!" ...But that is the very point. Many of the same things can still go wrong long after we've changed our purchasing mechanics. Programs are subject to mismanagement and your response to a bad boss...

• Commented on Video: South Park Review of Obama's NASA Plan

  "if the adults don't stop fighting nothing will get done" ...But please to define exactly what it is that will be the nothing which will get done when we stop fighting? The primary change I'm seeing is in how we...

• Commented on Plan C For Outer Space

  Standard EELV's don't deliver payloads to Lunar orbit in the same sizes as Ares V was expected to. So there would be a cost to reassemble them at some point and the ISS is an example of what that might...

• Commented on Impact Of Space Policy Changes Becoming Clear

  Right now everything looks like absolute chaos. The program of record is being torn apart by the presidents men and the new direction is apparently "say whatever it takes to get people aboard". We've gone from commercial only to lifeboat,...

• Commented on Schweickart to Nelson: [we] Are on a Dead End Road

  I think the commercial path will lead us to a much worse situation. We lack one of two things. Either a highly paying activity (that can afford $10k per pound launches) or a much cheaper spaceflight alternative. What commercial intends...

• Commented on While We All Argue - Let's Not Lose Sight of The Ultimate Goal

  I think we all agree that exploration is important, the question is our methods. The government path means our adventure only stops when we tell it to stop. Difficulty is no issue if we put in treasure, effort, and time....

• Commented on What Happened to "Apollo on Steroids", Mike?

  I think its a matter of perspective and understanding. The Apollo program was a bold step forward, but it was also incomplete. A good many people didn't understand that, so to them "Apollo on steroids" meant going back to plant...

• Commented on Lunar and Asteroidal Water Enables Human Exploration

  If the Obama plan survives to fruition I have no doubt we can find water on the right sort of asteroid. But then we'll still have to confront the problem that its on an asteroid (which is a poor target...