RE: Ted cruz to oversee nasa?!
January 13, 2015 at 3:43 pm
(This post was last modified: January 13, 2015 at 3:49 pm by The Grand Nudger.)
I've always been slightly taken aback that more people aren't aware of intended purpose of the shuttle. That it was originally conceived of as, essentially, an orbital PT Boat which we never got around to arming (or at least not publicly). It was supposed to be a prototype flagship of what would later become USSPACECOM. The soviets saw right through the civilian song and dance, but many here did not.
What did they think our government forked out so much money on? Flowers, prayer beads and lab coats? I'm kind of a geek, here, not about space mind you, honestly....the specifics bore me to tears (even if the broad strokes make me feel all fuzzy inside). But the machine.....good god the machine! Now it may be unfortunate, but it's also unfortunately true that machines the DOD finds useful, or even potentially useful tend to have a long, long life in service. The Shuttle did, given it's cost and relative value (which was essentially non-existent), I think.
However....having been discontinued with a whimper, whilst other, equally aging weapon platforms are being fought for tooth and nail for shows the value -in our current system- of having a design intended for conflict being made explicitly so. Fairchild Republic put the first A-10 (Warthog) in the sky in the early 70's).....and look at the little kafuffle recently when we decided to retire it. It will, btw, even though it's being "retired" see continued civilian service, for purposes I can only imagine will be thoroughly well reasoned and justified on the basis of it's cost/benefit and sustainability........
My comment was tongue in cheek, but only half so. In our system, in this environment, there is value in being a weapon, or having some utility as a weapon that can be sold to those who make decisions. The shuttles perception as a civilian vehicle, I think, devalued it in the eyes of the powers that be, even though it -was- designed as a weapon. If it were gun, perhaps the money wouldn't be rolling in - but I think that we'd have the Ted Cruz's of the world lining up to positively demand that our money be thrown down -that- rabbit hole until the final bell tolled. As Chuck said, we got billions out of an investment of many tens of the same, but if grift is the name of the game (and isn't it?) then why not grift a little science, eh?
The shuttles replacement, btw.....also a massive fraud. But here's to hoping we turn that to our benefit like we did with the shuttle (or that the contracts recently awarded come to fruition before we get too far down the hole with our newest excuse for grift).
What did they think our government forked out so much money on? Flowers, prayer beads and lab coats? I'm kind of a geek, here, not about space mind you, honestly....the specifics bore me to tears (even if the broad strokes make me feel all fuzzy inside). But the machine.....good god the machine! Now it may be unfortunate, but it's also unfortunately true that machines the DOD finds useful, or even potentially useful tend to have a long, long life in service. The Shuttle did, given it's cost and relative value (which was essentially non-existent), I think.
However....having been discontinued with a whimper, whilst other, equally aging weapon platforms are being fought for tooth and nail for shows the value -in our current system- of having a design intended for conflict being made explicitly so. Fairchild Republic put the first A-10 (Warthog) in the sky in the early 70's).....and look at the little kafuffle recently when we decided to retire it. It will, btw, even though it's being "retired" see continued civilian service, for purposes I can only imagine will be thoroughly well reasoned and justified on the basis of it's cost/benefit and sustainability........
My comment was tongue in cheek, but only half so. In our system, in this environment, there is value in being a weapon, or having some utility as a weapon that can be sold to those who make decisions. The shuttles perception as a civilian vehicle, I think, devalued it in the eyes of the powers that be, even though it -was- designed as a weapon. If it were gun, perhaps the money wouldn't be rolling in - but I think that we'd have the Ted Cruz's of the world lining up to positively demand that our money be thrown down -that- rabbit hole until the final bell tolled. As Chuck said, we got billions out of an investment of many tens of the same, but if grift is the name of the game (and isn't it?) then why not grift a little science, eh?
The shuttles replacement, btw.....also a massive fraud. But here's to hoping we turn that to our benefit like we did with the shuttle (or that the contracts recently awarded come to fruition before we get too far down the hole with our newest excuse for grift).
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