giskard03

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• Commented on Letter: Armstrong, Cernan, and Lovell Support NASA Authorization

  "The Shuttle will still be shut down at the very point when it is finally working superbly." At the begining of 1986, I'm sure there were some people that were saying that the major kinks of the shuttle had been...

• Commented on Senate Rejects Obama's Space Plan

  "If this is what the Dems can come up with, the Republicans must be laughing their asses off..." Right. A Republican led plan would have been substantially different...how?...

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

  I'm still wondering why Obama/NASA HQ hasn't been looking for a compromise. It should be obvious by now that there's a lack of support in congress for the new policy, and it won't fly as-is. Do they think it'll just...

• Commented on It Is Time For Charlie Bolden To Stay Home

  It's almost like Bolden and company are intentionally trying to shoot themselves in the foot. Ill-defined direction, poor implementation, and now trying to force-fit NASA into a type of diplomatic role that may interfere with its science role. I'm all...

• Commented on Facebook Resource for Huntsville Folks

  Initial estimates of the layoffs were on the order of 500 to 700 Jacobs ESTS employees. Fortunately, ESTS management and NASA did a great job working together to minimize job losses and retain expertise. The actual number of people that...

• Commented on Constellation Layoff Update

  Actually it was to be out-processed by this coming Friday (June 25), but you'll get two weeks pay plus 1, 2, or 3 more weeks of pay depending on how long you'd been there, and the $1000 extra. Not a...

• Commented on Constellation Layoff Update

  A "Voluntary Reduction-in-Force" option was emailed out late Friday afternoon to everyone on the ESTS contract, which is somewhere in the ballpark of 1100 people....

• Commented on Huntsville Constellation Layoff Update

  Regardless of if you're in favor or against the proposed plan, this has been poorly rolled out and executed. Centers are left in the dark, inadequate direction from HQ, etc. I don't think think HQ seriously considers how much they...

• Commented on The Rebellion Continues at JSC

  Ok, let's start over. And how about an answer other than "Ask Charlie"... Keith: specifically, what order(s) is JSC breaking?...

• Commented on The Rebellion Continues at JSC

  Editor's note: Hmm, and then Hanley was removed from his job a few days later... No kidding, but you're missing the point. Are you implying that JSC should ignore "official" orders and march to "unofficial" orders? Just what orders do...

• Commented on The Rebellion Continues at JSC

  Editor's note: Go ask Charlie Bolden about his ongoing frustrations with regard to JSC management and their lack of cooperation on many things. Here's a direct quote from Bolden a few weeks ago: "As far as I am concerned, Jeff...

• Commented on The Rebellion Continues at JSC

  "Editor's note: JSC staff work for Bolden at NASA HQ. Bolden works for the President. They do not work for Congress. They are not doing what NASA HQ tells them to do. They are in rebellion." You didn't reply to...

• Commented on Falcon 9 Development = Cost of Ares I Mobile Service Tower

  "SpaceX has been profitable for three consecutive years (2007 through 2009)..." This statement is a little misleading. They've had positive cash flow, but they've only launched a single 180kg satellite to date. That "profit" is based on the promise of...

• Commented on Falcon 9 Launch Totally Successful

  I agree with CharlesBoyer. It may be premature to jump to the conclusion that the flight was "totally successful". It's not clear if the rolling of the second stage was an off-nominal condition. In addition, it seemed like the second...

• Commented on Failing Queen Visit 101

  Yes, physical awkwardness is a strong indicator of lobbying prowess. Is that really what you're trying to say? Because the two are completely unrelated. Seems more like you found a video that makes him look silly, wanted to post it...

• Commented on Watching Falcons

  "The Falcon 9 is a superior rocket design compared to anything out there." And this statement is based on...what? Falcon 9 MIGHT proove to be a robust design, but without any launches to back this statement up, it's still just...

• Commented on Mike Griffin, Master Manipulator

  "...Armstrong and Cernan were greeted at the door of this room by Mike Griffin. This synchs with the widely-held suspicon that not only did Griffin help write Neil Armstrong's prepared comments..." Really?! They shook hands, therefore Griffin must have written...

• Commented on EELV Providers Want A Hand Out to Enter Crew Launching Biz

  Was this really a surprise to anyone? I'm sure there will be more cost increases and schedule delays to come. "The grass is always greener..."...

• Commented on Is A Human Space Flight Compromise Emerging?

  "In addition to closing the "gap" for American human spaceflight, stretched out Space Shuttle operations will allow a rapid implementation of a Shuttle-C ("Sidemount") HLV to be developed." I can tell you that the sidemount is not a sure-thing at...

• Commented on Hacking The Past; Teaching The Future

  I have to agree with ugordan... some of this photo looks suspicious. There's a few things that don't add up: 1. The diameter of the Titan was 10ft. Typical angled parking spaces are 8-9 ft. Measuring the parking space (444,91...

• Commented on Detailed NASA Budget Materials Now Online

  "If Orbital Depots work out, it's been known since the late 1940s that you don't need HLV." I would like to see you come up with mass estimates for any significant manned mission beyond the moon. Even with VASMIR, which...

• Commented on Restless in Huntsville, Houston, and on the Hill

  "...you don't need to lift 188 mt to LEO if you have nuclear based advanced propulsion." That depends on what you want to do. Mars would still need a lot more than 200mt even with advanced prop. Nuclear based prop...

• Commented on Restless in Huntsville, Houston, and on the Hill

  "Good this this isn't all about money, jobs and wining elections..." If you remember after Apollo, a lot of knowledge, experience, and know-how was lost during the gap leading up to the shuttle. A lot of people can tell you...

• Commented on Buzz Aldrin Thanks President Obama

  I don't see why many conservatives are upset with Obama's proposal. Obama's move is straight out of their playbook: outsource to the private sector, which can do it more efficiently and cheaply. I wonder if this had been a conservative...

• Commented on Morning After Reaction To NASA Budget

  "I don't think this Congressional opposition will result in the return of the Ares architecture and maybe not even a return to the Moon. But I do think there will be continued funding for the Orion and finally some serious...

• Commented on Morning After Reaction To NASA Budget

  "I just cannot bring myself to believe that NASA should be a perpetual welfare agency for nerds." I think you're assuming most of the people that work on Constellation aren't hard working. Very few criticisms have been aimed at the...

• Commented on Obama's Plan For NASA Revealed

  "I'd say Obama just lost Texas and Florida in 2012." Yes, he was definitely counting on Texas to carry him in '08. ...oh, wait......

• Commented on Budget Summary: Constellation Is Cancelled Outright

  Here's a very non-descript item in the budget: "Research and development to support future heavy-lift rocket systems that will increase the capability of future exploration architectures..." R&D to support future HLVs? Is that active development, or 4 years of more...

• Commented on DIRECT Delusions

  "Don't you guys think that the current ET is pretty amazingly strong as is - look at the forces it has to deal with, SRB attached to the sides, hugely heavy orbiter hanging off its front." Sure, those parts probably...

• Commented on DIRECT Delusions

  "Yes, NASA said the ET is strong enough for that." I'm calling BS on that. I've reviewed several of the NLS trade studies and analysis over the years, which detailed all sorts of modifications that would be required. Do you...