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Commented on John Grunsfeld is the new SMD Associate Administrator
Interesting choice, and one that was strongly suspected for months. Grunsfeld certainly speaks well for the connection of human space flight with science, but the strength of his understanding of issues, needs, and priorities in planetary and Earth science, and... -
Commented on NOAA Employees Have More Freedom to Speak Than NASA Employees
Well, that's kind of amusing, but it really seems to me that NASA has it exactly right. Perhaps NOAA doesn't believe that its scientists have information that has the potential to generate significant media, or public interest or inquiry? Why... -
Commented on Webb Space Telescope Events on Capitol Hill Today
Yes, it seems hard to believe that the cost won't continue to escalate. Of course the project does that at its peril, as per Chairman Hall. I wouldn't assume that the astronomical community would draw the line at $10B, though.... -
Commented on Webb Space Telescope Events on Capitol Hill Today
I'm surprised there were no comments on this hearing. I expected it to be another cheering session for JWST, but the witnesses and the project were seriously taken to task about the mission by the Committee. Rep Hall made it... -
Commented on Neil Tyson: Misquoted or Missing The Point?
In general, I think Neil has made the point well. It's not something we like to admit, but it's probably true. NASA has never been about "exploration", but about geopolitical competition in technology. But they call it "exploration" for short,... -
Commented on Is Something Wrong With the Drill on MSL? (Update)
Let's see. Glass admitted that he did a dumb thing. Not a bad thing. Just a slightly dumb thing. Must we assume there is a story lurking here? NASA has no business responding to what are self-admitted idle ramblings of... -
Commented on ROSAT Reenters Earth's Atmosphere
The media are reporting that NASA is saying (I don't have the source on this), that NASA has no uncontrolled reentrys expected for at least 25 years. So assuming other nations don't have one headed our way (and, of course,... -
Commented on NASA Astronaut Andy Thomas is Still Bashing China On The Job
This panel is very reminiscent of the excellent political cartoon by award winning cartoonist for The Times, Peter Brookes, from early last year. It shows a Chinese taikonaut standing near an erect Chinese flag on the lunar surface, with a... -
Commented on NASA Studies Show Cheaper Alternatives to SLS
"No. No its not. Pork barrel spending can be bad but amounts only to about $16.5 billion/year - that's 0.5% of the fed budget. " Let's be careful here. Without making assertions about the destruction of the country, pork barrel... -
Commented on Video: Start Your Day With A Cosmic Bang
Yes, you're probably right about what Keith intended here. But that certainly wasn't clear. Even so, I have some misgivings about what's being suggested. This video says NOTHING. It's cool, but it's empty. I watch it, and I'm sort of... -
Commented on Video: Start Your Day With A Cosmic Bang
This is a marvelous video, but like other posters I have a hard time relating it to NASA. The reason some might see it that way is actually pretty instructive. To many people, the symbols for historical exploration are mountains... -
Commented on Live Blogging: DARPA's 100 Year Starship Conference
"There, fixed that for you" , in my personal opinion. There, fixed that for you. But of course, you're right. Most of what is written here (including your fix) is not much more than personal opinion. The question is whose... -
Commented on Live Blogging: DARPA's 100 Year Starship Conference
dogstar2 said ... "I think this is pure fantasy. But if you are really interested, you have to ask whether it makes sense for biological humans to go at all." Wingo said ... "Yes, those caves were all comfy and... -
Commented on Will The Webb Money Sponge Drain Funds From The Rest of NASA?
Not sure how my paragraph got clipped. Maybe the special characters messed it up. It should have said ... JWST has NOTHING to do with human space flight. So HEOMD shouldn't need to feel any kind of obligation to it.... -
Commented on Will The Webb Money Sponge Drain Funds From The Rest of NASA?
"If NASA decides to share the costs around like they appear to be planning, most divisions and programs won't notice." Well, excuse me, but 2% of the Planetary account is $30M. Will that be taken out of missions? No. It'll... -
Commented on Webb Costs Are Fragmenting The Space & Planetary Science Community
Fair question. Let me pose an answer. The world is full of goals for which we have unforseen challenges. JWST is not unique in that respect. There are standard ways for handling unforseen challenges -- careful budget planning, and contingency... -
Commented on Webb Costs Are Fragmenting The Space & Planetary Science Community
After I pick myself up off the floor in a fit of laughter, let me just ask, how in the world is it that this kind of fragmentation seems to be seen as a surprise, and so unexpected? It has... -
Commented on Choir Practice With Bullhorns at NASA
This is an interesting discussion, with lots of good points being raised. I'm a little less interested in NASA's alleged PAO failure to distribute their accomplishments in such a way that those accomplishments could end up "above the fold". The... -
Commented on What Name Would You Pick for Pluto's Newly-Discovered Moon?
Hmmm... then why do the Mars rover people name all the surface features that they encounter along the way? That's an easy one. Because they need names NOW. When Opportunity is trying to avoid a rock, they don't want to... -
Commented on What Name Would You Pick for Pluto's Newly-Discovered Moon?
So why can't the rest of us have a say in naming the things in our universe? The IAU is so 20th century. Its time to change this process. This view is kind of juvenile, Keith. The rest of us... -
Commented on NASA Without Clear Goals = ?
It's arguable who's challenging semantic arguments more here. I'm just saying that a "goal" is something intrinsically important. You're saying that my desire to put a period at the end of this sentence is my goal. There, I did it!!... -
Commented on NASA Without Clear Goals = ?
Exactly right that NASA has no goals, and it's not the fault of NASA. Confusion between "goals" and "objectives" is common by people who don't understand strategic planning. You set objectives in an effort to meet greater goals. Going to... -
Commented on Buzz Aldrin's Take On Space Policy
Some good points, here and above. Firstly that the justification for this kind of stuff is really thin. We're told that the ultimate goal is to extend human reach beyond LEO by using the resources of the Moon to create... -
Commented on Buzz Aldrin's Take On Space Policy
Flexible path ... "is an excuse to do nothing, spend money and claim that you are ultimately going somewhere to do something" Sounds like what Constellation turned out to be. I'm not sure how you translate flexible path into "doing... -
Commented on Buzz Aldrin's Take On Space Policy
Refreshing commentary from Aldrin, in what has become a sad chest-thumping exercise from other Apollo astronauts, only one of which has any insight into federal funding policy. To Dr. Spudis, I would just say the following. Going to the Moon... -
Commented on Video: Morpheus Test Firing
"Dont you think it would be useful to rebuild this capability ?" Rebuild a lunar landing capability? As in, an R&D project? No, I don't. Many small commercial outfits are confident in their ability to land stuff on the Moon.... -
Commented on Video: Morpheus Test Firing
I was waiting for some cogent explanation of what Morpheus was all about, and this lengthy explanation makes a good stab at an answer. (Finally?) But please ... "Remember what we are going after here, LOX/LCH4 engine technology, this is... -
Commented on "Challenger Changed My Life" Program
You're setting up a straw man. No one is expecting students to "walk out a couple hours later with a full-fledged science education." That's just silly. What you're talking about IS science education. Getting students to appreciate, value, and get... -
Commented on "Challenger Changed My Life" Program
Challenger Center does some nice stuff, but I'm a little confused. They say they provide "science education inspiration". Is that different than providing "science education"? I would say doing the latter well is far more important than doing the former.... -
Commented on Morpheus Lander: Cool Stuff That JSC PAO Won't Let You See
"What's being proven? That, unlike Clipper Graham, NASA can inherit technology and use it over an extended period without showing their incompetence." You've got to be kidding. We should be enamored of this effort because it's showing that NASA isn't...