Shuttle Cocked (up)
An article in Wired magazine about the aging space shuttle fleet shows why privatization is our only option for maintaining U.S. dominance in space. Oh, that's not the intent of the article, certainly. But... well, see for yourself:
Oh, I agree; there's certainly a lesson to be learned here. Two of them, in fact:
1) NASA no longer even understands the question, let alone the answer.
2) Kay Bailey Hutchinson isn't from this planet. No mere human mortal could possibly attain such an astounding level of ignorance and then confidently present it as received wisdom.
But the shuttle's end has come in sight. "The clipper ships were the peak of the sailing art, and we don't see those either. I think there's a lesson to be learned from that," NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said last week at Kennedy Space Center.
U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, who chairs the Subcommittee on Science and Space, said... "I think the key is not whether they are getting too old, but whether they are maintaining them properly."
Oh, I agree; there's certainly a lesson to be learned here. Two of them, in fact:
1) NASA no longer even understands the question, let alone the answer.
2) Kay Bailey Hutchinson isn't from this planet. No mere human mortal could possibly attain such an astounding level of ignorance and then confidently present it as received wisdom.
posted by Jar(egg)head at 10:23
4 Comments:
Design and reality are often quite different things. This is the case with the space shuttles. Hutchison states that the shuttle was designed for 100 launches over 10 years. Obviously they haven’t gone up that much but the 10 years are up. The space shuttles are old. Sure, you can dump a bunch of money in them and bring them up to a usable status again. But like many structures it may be easier to just scrap and build new. I don't know which is best but I do know that private enterprise could put more money into it. Do we need to watch what private enterprise puts into orbit like a hawk? Probably, but I believe it’s still the better choice. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against NASA, but they don’t have the budget needed to do all that needs doing. Should the government maintain a space program? I think so. But they should be buying the latest Boeing or McDonald Douglas space vehicle that the rest of industry uses. If industry was allowed to build it’s own space ships that is.
Anyway, just my two cents worth.
Later,
N
Even the Apollo program ran for only nine years. So the original statement 10 years of service is about on target. But wait... the suttle program started in 1981. In addition the technological advances in the last 24 years alone dictate that we should scrap our aging fleet for something new.
And just like Sen. Hutchison, I too like to maintain old things, however, the Space Shuttle program has been in service longer than my VW van.
I guess such statements by the clueless Senator can be made if it is not her ass in the hotseat at take off!
Didn't NASA once spend 12 million on a ball-point pen that works in 0 G, while Russia decided to use pencils?
I'm thinking Kay Bailey Hutchinson is not maintaining herself properly. *rolls eyes*
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