Claims of secret Bush space agenda

I've read several times now that the new Bush plan for NASA is a cover-up to
"militarize space." Let me take a moment to note this is absurd.

Look at the technology involved. The centerpiece is the new
modular manned system. Completely useless to the Pentagon. (Look through any
DoD space plans, and you'll find no consideration of any missions for
astronauts.) It's likely to be an unmaneuverable capsule, which DoD will have
even less interest in. Possibly there will be some shared technology in things
like rendezvous and docking systems and sensors, but that's more likely to be
stuff developed for DoD and adapted for NASA, not vice versa.

The only thing the NASA initiative will do for DoD - maybe - is restrain some
of the EELV cost overruns by creating a new customer for one of the Heavy
variants.

You can indict Bush on more than one major error, but he's innocent on this
charge. There's no reason to think his goals for NASA are anything but what
they appear to be. None of the technology NASA is looking at contributes to
any Pentagon plan.

P.S. The "militarization cover" charge was made long ago for the Shuttle.
What happened to "militarize space" out of that program? Nothing whatsoever.
The Shuttle just launched the same kind of military satellites launched before
and after by ELVs.

Nor has DoD stated any requirement for the space nuclear reactor under NASA's
Prometheus (looked at by DoD in the old SDI days, but long since abandoned) or
for the Shuttle-derived heavy lifter NASA is considering.

Case closed.





Matt Bille





Matt Bille
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OPINIONS IN ALL POSTS ARE SOLELY THOSE OF THE AUTHOR