Is NASA becoming an unreliable partner ?

Mars_B4_Moon · 2006-03-23 05:15:57

Are they getting unfair press and criticism lately ? Maybe so

But the space tourists are often critical of NASA and now NASA seems to be moving away from its co-operative international projects

Palomar · 2006-03-23 06:13:22

the space tourists are often critical of NASA

*We know NASA is a gov't agency; it owes profit-driven privateers nothing. Of course the wealthy space tourists dislike not being able to take advantage of an agency funded by the taxpayer and using it to their own benefit. Thing is, the taxpayer owes private wealthy folks...nothing.

Martian Republic · 2006-03-24 15:31:41

I will second Cindy motion and I will have a double too. NASA owes the private ventures nothing and I would not support a private venture so a few rich people could joy ride at my expense as a tax payer.

However, if the private sector had a viable transportation system or there were a policy shift to develop viable space through NASA, than that might be different matter, but they don't have one and aren't doing that either. If either one of those things were happening, then government funding for it would kick off a new financially self sustaining industry and I would be for it to get it going. But, the way it stands now, NASA and US Government would only be subsidizing a rich mans play ground in space and I am not for that at all.

Larry,

Yang Liwei Rocket · 2006-03-25 16:56:35

I think people should cut NASA slack for not doing the private thing or tourism - these ideas can only cause NASA more problems. They more or less tried the whole tourist/private thing - it wasn't like Olsen's tourism flight.
Shuttle was a good old craft but already cutting safety corners, and some astronauts new risks were getting tougher but back in 86 they tried putting teacher Christa McAuliffe in Space and we know what happened there. NASA had a heap of ideas Foreigner in Space ( a co-operative effort from Canada, Japan or Europe ), American Journalists in Space, Teachers in Space, they were going to do the teacher-thing again with Barbara Morgan - she seems to have cheated death twice. She was backup for the Teacher in Space Program ( Christa McAuliffe) and she was supposed to come back in 2003 or 2004 but shuttle flights were again grounded after the loss of Columbia.

As for NASA neglecting its international partnerships, we know there have been some budget cuts lately and probelms witht he grounding of Shuttle. The biggest probelm lately is billions spent on ISS by Europe and Japan, and then NASA mmight suddenly say "ok we don't like this anymore, we are going to do something else" Then the Europeans and Japanese start wondering when a new administration comes in will it change its mind once again ? Russia is also wondering when NASA is going to fix the Shuttle or replace it - however Russia has little patience and often plays hardball and or uses NASA's stumbles against it by getting NASA to fork out cash for more Soyuz and Progress. The Japanese are still wondering when their Kibo space lab will be launched. Over the years the ESA have also taken the brunt of NASA's U-turns missons such as NuSTAR delayed, NEAP, FAME getting dumped, JWST delayed, CRAF axed, Ulysses cuts, LISA cut....I think this is why ESA is pushing ahead with its own ideas for Mars such as an MSR or perhaps thinking of using its own launchers to do its own missions to the Moon, Mercury exploration, European space-telescopes or Comet studies.

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#1 2006-03-23 05:15:57

Re: Is NASA becoming an unreliable partner ?

#2 2006-03-23 06:13:22

Re: Is NASA becoming an unreliable partner ?

#3 2006-03-24 15:31:41

Re: Is NASA becoming an unreliable partner ?

#4 2006-03-25 16:56:35

Re: Is NASA becoming an unreliable partner ?

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