The thing is...

While I think commercialization is a good (and inevitable) idea, I see NASA
as more of the exploration arm - doing things that private enterprise can't
or won't do because you can't make a dime on it yet. Paving the way, so to
speak. Sure, LEO is doable (even by the model rocketry guys if they try
really hard), so businesses can easily find customers who want a joyride or
a contract to take supplies to the ISS. But they're not going to fund a
moonbase, or a manned trip to Mars. So the manned exploration aspect is
dead. Very dead since NASA is now focusing on jump-starting commervcial
ventures. That's like your boss telling you to train your replacement.
Game over, guys. Time to send your resumes overseas. Maybe some other
nation will value your talents. I wish you well.


I just hope they keep the NASA facilities as museums. One day I'd like to
take my grandkids to visit them.

-J

"John Crane" writes:

While I think commercialization is a good (and inevitable) idea, I see NASA
as more of the exploration arm - doing things that private enterprise can't
or won't do because you can't make a dime on it yet.

That is not how NASA started, in fact just opposite. Helping private enterprise
boot-strap the aviation industry by lending laboratory equipment and expertise
not available/affordable to the fledgling aviation companies starting out in
the 20's and 30's.

The NASA you're thinking of and most people are familiar with today was a result
of a Cold War perversion that politicized the organization to provide the
country with the technological means to 'beat' the Russians in the space race.
As Tom Wolfe writes, the space race was the 20th century's form of single-combat

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Single_...#Single_combat

as an alternative to nuclear war to prove to those in the world still sitting on
the fence as well as the adversaries themselves which society/system held the
ultimate technological hegemony.

Think of it this way, NASA is returning to its roots and a long and successful
heritage when it was known as NACA. Maybe NASA can now do for space what NACA
did so successfully for aviation without the flags and footprints distractions.

http://www.centennialofflight.gov/es...NACA/Tech1.htm


I just hope they keep the NASA facilities as museums. One day I'd like to
take my grandkids to visit them.

I think they'll stay busy.

Dave

David Spain wrote:
Think of it this way, NASA is returning to its roots and a long and successful
heritage when it was known as NACA. Maybe NASA can now do for space what NACA
did so successfully for aviation without the flags and footprints distractions.

Step one: Build solar wind tunnel.


Pat

Pat Flannery writes:

Step one: Build solar wind tunnel.

That actually sounds like an interesting project, I note also lack of smiley...

Dave

On Feb 3, 11:30*am, "John Crane" wrote:
While I think commercialization is a good (and inevitable) idea, I see NASA
as more of the exploration arm - doing things that private enterprise can't
or won't do because you can't make a dime on it yet. *Paving the way, so to
speak. Sure, LEO is doable (even by the model rocketry guys if they try
really hard), so businesses can easily find customers who want a joyride or
a contract to take supplies to the ISS. *But they're not going to fund a
moonbase, or a manned trip to Mars. *So the manned exploration aspect is
dead. *Very dead since NASA is now focusing on jump-starting commervcial
ventures. *That's like your boss telling you to train your replacement.

....because you're moving up. Why does it have to be glum?


Game over, guys. *Time to send your resumes overseas. *Maybe some other
nation will value your talents. *I wish you well.

Who exactly?


I just hope they keep the NASA facilities as museums. *One day I'd like to
take my grandkids to visit them.

In case you haven't noticed manned spaceflight is not the same thing
as NASA. Unmanned spaceflight is doing fine.

The problem with Bush's vision was that his dad had one just like it
that didn't happen. Texans that are JSC-focused are porkbarrel
spenders focused on throwing projects to contractors and lobbyists
that got them elected, not driven by anything beyond $$$. JFK's moon
dream was different. Sure the beating the Russians was big but it
wasn't a local payoff.