"Robert Collins" wrote in message
...
This is sort of ironic because despite the idea that NASA had minimal
bureaucracy, it built up a huge one simply to accomplish the Moon
landings. It wasn't a bunch of guys going around just building stuff.
When you can track a part from when it was built, who built it, where it
was placed in storage, what testing it went under, you have to have a
bureaucracy.

When you are managing dozens of projects, you need a bureaucracy.

Yeah, well we have computers now to manage all that stuff so there's
really going to be no need to hire all of the worlds middle-managers
to get meaningful space operations off the ground. Hence, no need for
an unlimited budget.


Really? So you think we really just use computers to do all the stuff that
middle management does?

If you think the sole purpose of middle management is inventory tracking
then yes, you'd be right.

My point wasn't the inventory tracking itself, it was designing, building,
implementing the tracking and everything else.

You still need managers at all levels.

Wht you really want to avoid is the downside of a bureaucracy, ossification,
territory holding etc. But you still need something to all hold it
together. You're not going to do any real space exploration without it.


I think when you look at the record of large projects at the scale of
the Apollo program, the control of excess spending is something
government doesn't do very well, even with all the meticulous record-
keeping.

That's not necessarily true. Though I'll admit examples are far and few and
I can't think of any.

On the other hand, civilian programs can fare as badly often times. 787,
A380 anyone?



...Those are the kind of breakthroughs NASA needs to get us into
serious space exploration above and beyond what we're doing now.


Sorry OM, to me, this is mostly just fanboy talk.

These discussions are never meant to be representative of actual
scientific undertakings. Presumably at least some of us are here are
interested in sharing ideas and discussing their merits.

Never? Funny, I thought these were the sci. groups.

Not just the talk.* hierarchy.

But yes, let's share ideas and discuss their merits. I think OM's plan
isn't much of one and is wishful thinking.



Robert Collins




--
Greg Moore
Ask me about lily, an RPI based CMC.