NASA X-Prize vs Congress

Here's an interesting article in Spacedaily:

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/nasa-04zt.html


The X-prize approach seems like a useful one, financially. So why is
it illegal for NASA to try this?

With competitive prizes, congressmen have no control over who ends up
getting the money. That tends to conflict somewhat with pork-barrel
politics.

-- Neil

With competitive prizes, congressmen have no control over who ends up
getting the money. That tends to conflict somewhat with pork-barrel
politics.

-- Neil

I also notice on that same page, that some Democrat Budget Analyst wants to
chop the Moon/Mars Program calling it a waste of Money. No doubt if NASA made
it less wasteful, it would undermine her case.

I think America's Space Program is a symbol of America's prestige. Some
Democrats don't want America to have any prestige, they only want to deal with
Americas irretractible problems and just get bogged down. I think the Space
Program is an important morale booster, but the Democrats don't want moral,
they don't want the US to win, they want only humiliation and failure!

As for Congress, any patriot should support making NASA more effective. We
should plant our flag in the Martian soil and if any traitorous bureucrats get
in the way, they should be fired! We should also roast those obstructionist
Congressmen and women over the fire! They can find their pork elsewhere! NASA's
space program is too important!

Tom

Tkalbfus1 ) wrote:
: With competitive prizes, congressmen have no control over who ends up
: getting the money. That tends to conflict somewhat with pork-barrel
: politics.
:
: -- Neil

: I also notice on that same page, that some Democrat Budget Analyst wants to
: chop the Moon/Mars Program calling it a waste of Money. No doubt if NASA made
: it less wasteful, it would undermine her case.

: I think America's Space Program is a symbol of America's prestige. Some
: Democrats don't want America to have any prestige, they only want to deal with
: Americas irretractible problems and just get bogged down. I think the Space
: Program is an important morale booster, but the Democrats don't want moral,
: they don't want the US to win, they want only humiliation and failure!

Total bull****! You are equating the 'space program' with 'manned space
program'. That is a conservative fallacy.

Hey, do you want NASA to have more money to investigate if Global Warming
is real? I bet you want to cut THOSE funds.

: As for Congress, any patriot should support making NASA more effective. We
: should plant our flag in the Martian soil and if any traitorous bureucrats get
: in the way, they should be fired! We should also roast those obstructionist
: Congressmen and women over the fire! They can find their pork elsewhere! NASA's
: space program is too important!

We have not even had an unmanned return mission from Mars and you're
dreaming about planting a flag. You forget that NASA is a civilian agency.

You want Democrats on board? Tell them that we'll reallocate some DOD
fund for space instead. I bet that will get their attention. I wonder how
many of the patriotic conservatives will support space with THAT budget
reallocation?

Eric

: Tom