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Old January 15th 04, 02:12 PM
Steve
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Default NASA's 1$ billion windfall

(Bill Clark) wrote in message m...
I may be kind of skeptical, but I think it will take the extra $1
billion President Bush has pledged for NASA just to keep it going at
current levels. Here's why:

Everything is classified now. Even technical journal articles have to
be vetted before they are published. Especially anything having to do


I also share your skepticism. I see this initiative as money for
Boeing and LockMart to give to their shareholders while they make
noises about producing hardware and then deliver nothing. Remember
the X-33.

I really should be excited however I am so cynical about the self
serving machine that has built up aroung NASA that cannot see this in
any other light than more money for the machine.

What have we been doing for the last 30 years? I feel like Bobby in
Dallas suddenly waking up after 30 years and hey its 2004 and we are
going to the moon - didn't we do that already? Practically all our
current launchers would not be out of place at a launch pad in 1970.
Even that latest launcher the Falcon is a aluminium cylinder with a
rocket motor at the bottom.

What happened to the SSTO and the composite tanks, the L5 habitats,
the solar power satelites, the mass driver and the rest that a
research organization that NASA is supposed to deliver.