EarthShine

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• Commented on Visiting Plymouth Rock Via Dual Orions

  There are a number of robotic missions that have been proposed over the years that could accomplish a sample return. Probably not at the volume of a manned flight, but certainly a scientifically worthwhile amount....

• Commented on Learning From The Past

  A nice 'close' analogy Dennis. However, businesses in the post civil war 1800's could clearly see a market enabled by a unified rail system. They knew that once built the intercontinental railroad would provide a steady stream of 'non government'...

• Commented on Why Everything Costs So Much At NASA

  Everything cost so much at NASA because the Agency does not tolerate risk. It costs lots of money and time and schedule to ensure nothing fails. Too bad, because a life without risk is pretty dull....

• Commented on Should Congress Design the Next Big Booster?

  Frank et al, What is happening in the Senate may be politically expedient to serve the interests of affected states, and certainly legal. And it is highly dysfunctional and will result in a future for NASA that looks very much...

• Commented on NASA HLV Development: Hurry Up And Wait

  Does it matter for this development that they do not yet know what will ride in it? Or will it be enough to define the mass carrying capability and a volume envelope? I assume the new rocket will only be...

• Commented on What is the Space Shuttle's True Legacy?

  Nice piece Frank. And the 'true' legacy will be whatever the dominate or prevailing view is of the Shuttle Legacy, vs. a 'true' legacy. And that collective agreement about it's legacy will shift over time as the lens from which...

• Commented on Cabana: "I see a great future for KSC"

  If I am Space X or any of the Merchant 7, I stay as far away from NASA property to launch my rockets as I can. Dealing with those that control requirements of performing any function on KSC property will...

• Commented on Keeping Our Eyes On The Prize

  With the exception of Earth Science and Aeronautics, what NASA does has nothing to do with solving the problems of the taxpayer. And having said that, all what NASA does holds the promise of inspiring someone. It doesn't have to...

• Commented on Here We Go Again: Do More With Less

  Who do I need to talk to ,to get assigned to the Augustine II panel that will be forming in a couple of years!...

• Commented on House Wants To Kill CRuSR

  There is not a lot of NASA money as it is for suborbital experiments. If those PI"s then had to 'man rate' their experiments for a manned suborbital flight, that doesn't offer them anything beyond what WFF offers them now,...

• Commented on The Senate NASA Compromise: A Hinge of History?

  Before this Senate subcommittee bill compromise, the ObamaSpace plan was considered by many an 'mission to no where'. Now it's a mission to no where , but you get to take a big rocket with you . Defining a rocket...

• Commented on Nelson & Hutchison Have a "Major Breakthrough" to Announce

  Authorization does not equal Appropriations. There is a loooong way to go for any legislation. Our founding fathers weren't in a hurry....

• Commented on UDPATE: Obama DID NOT "Charge" Bolden To Do Muslim Country Outreach

  In the absence of transformational leadership we get this mess. No effective leadership from the WH, no effective leadership from the Congress, and no effective leadership from Gen. Bolden. Ugh. Bolden needs to make a statement that he mis-remembered or...

• Commented on Cernan Calls On Bolden To Resign

  I always said that Obama wants to be viewed as 'not like any other politician' His NASA outreach to Muslim countries is indicative of how he wants to be viewed. His 2011 Budget and Policy re NASA is indicative of...

• Commented on Progress 38P Docks With ISS

  Why is everyone so concerned about NASA HSF SOMD sending $50M to Russia for rides to space....SMD is allowing foreign companies to bid on spacecraft bus and integration of their science missions,,,which, depending on the mission could make $50M look...

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

  Well said. And a few questions: "Does changing the 'content' of what NASA does really alter the 'thinking' of the past 40 years? Where is this 'new thinking' that is needed to solve the problems of the 'old thinking' (to...

• Commented on State Department Officials Afraid To Use Real Names When Talking About Space Policy

  To predict how a politician will act, pay attention to what he or she says, then expect the opposite. The dysfunction in government knows no bounds. Transparency? What's that! Thanks for posting Kieth....

• Commented on More Space Policy Goodness From the White House

  When NASA HSF partners with Internationals, the cost will go up and the schedule will move to the right. Whatever NASA convinces it self it may save by bringing in outside money, will be lost to additional layers of State...

• Commented on Obama Space Plan Under Continuous Assault

  Regarding Costs: Elon can do everything in house at SPACE X to keep his costs down. Remember, every outside organizational interface a project has to deal with creates inefficiencies. Elon knows this. NASA can not develop projects this way. Money...

• Commented on Communicating Outside of NASAWorld

  @ Frank. Within SMD, the missions competed via AO's, Education and Public Outreach is supposed to be 2% of the mission budget. Not sure what the requirement is for directed SMD missions. And completely not sure of what goes on...

• Commented on NASA Continues To Ignore RockOn! Launch

  I believe that WFF provides the rocket and the range, not the 'content' of what is launched. It is incumbent on the student organization sponsoring the experiments to perform their own horn tooting. I would expect the WFF folks to...

• Commented on Has China Been Formally Invited to Join the ISS Program? (Another Update)

  I am all for allowing the Chinese to be a participant of the ISS, only if they forgive us the debt we have with them!...

• Commented on $100 Million To Aid CxP Employee Transition

  Does anyone know if the $100M is coming out of the existing 2011 budgets submit to NASA? Or is it an additional $100M?...

• Commented on Sen. Nelson Attempts To Formulate a Compromise

  As we've seen with Cx to date, its the appropriations language that matters, not the authorization language. Having said that, it seems like a reasonable approach. And keep in mind that NASA gets its marching orders from President and funding...

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

  NASA is not viewed by the American people as an Agency designed solve national issues, problems or crisis's. That is left for the other agencies. NASA HSF even less so. So, when HSF gets a make over, there is no...

• Commented on Griffin: "I had no concern whatsoever about it"

  Dennis. Right on. Griffin was always concerned about Cx being canceled by a future congress/administration. IMHO that is why he ditched the 'spiral development approach' (too easy to kill for lack of hardware being built due to it's snail pace...

• Commented on OMB: What Are NASA's Lowest Impacting Activities?

  @Aerin NOAA and NASA's missions are not duplicative. Indeed NASA already manages NOAA developments creating efficiency between the two organizations....

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

  Demonstrating the technical acumen to build and launch a new rocket and then later augment/transform/modify it to accommodate Humans is not in question. Clearly, as the Falcon 9 success demonstrates we have the technical brains in the country to pull...

• Commented on Failing Queen Visit 101

  Looks to me like the security guy is moving Dr. Griffin from his line of sight, as he was blocking his view into the crowd....

• Commented on Plan C For Outer Space

  Great Article Dennis. Post Augustine Report, it seems as if space advocates were left with two options, both losing ones, i.e. continue with the PoR, or Obamaspace. Ugh. The shambles NASA finds itself in now is clearly due to a...