NASA clarifies the role of other advocacy organizations

cIclops · 2006-09-13 01:31:43

Griffin's speech at GSFC 12 September 2006 makes plain NASA's relationship with the science community and other advocacy organizations. He also responds strongly to claims that the science budget has been "decimated".

The idea seems to be that, after we've done JWST, Europa, SIM, TPF, and every other mission in the pre- VSE NASA budget, then and only then can we embark upon renewed human Exploration of deep space. Well, that is simply not how it works.
...
The problem is that these folks do understand these real-world limitations, and in a world with such limitations, they want to be in charge of the distribution of resources. Put bluntly, they want to exercise the inherent authority of government to decide what is being done with the money which is available for science at NASA, but without having to come to Washington, put on a NASA badge, make all the associated sacrifices, and live with the consequences of their decisions, which mostly means that when you decide to do one thing, you are also deciding not to do something else that someone else would like to do, and you have to be publicly accountable for that fact.

X · 2007-05-31 19:11:46

I hereby apply to deliver the bad news to the non manned programs that don't support human exploration or work to defend earth from impacts by heavenly bodies. Give me my paaycheck and NASA badge, and I can be in Washington and ready to go in two days.

He's right in one way though I fear. If we ever want to get something done about moving significant numbers of normal people off planet anytime soon we're going to have to raise money and retain complete control of it ourselves. Put it in the government's pocket, and all the programs we don't support are getting a cut.

Marsman · 2007-07-25 23:45:44

Put bluntly, they want to exercise the inherent authority of government to decide what is being done with the money which is available for science at NASA, but without having to come to Washington, put on a NASA badge, make all the associated sacrifices, and live with the consequences of their decisions

So why do space advocate groups keep on trying to pressure NASA to do their bidding when it is clear that NASA does what NASA wants, NOT what they want? What is the point of having a space advocate group spend all its money and resources on small scale "go nowhere" projects only to have it rejected by NASA 99% of the time? It seems to me that it would be far more useful to direct the energies of the NGO space sector into directly and aggressively supporting new private space efforts. For example, Burt Rutan, JP Aerospace and Armadillo have all made varying levels of progress due to a healthy mix of volunteers and paid workers. I think this is a far better model for doing things than continually banging our heads against the brick wall of NASA only.

John Creighton · 2007-07-29 14:28:36

I don't think Griffin is saying advocacy groups shouldn't exist, I think he is just saying that they need to understand how NASA needs to balance priorities. The more groups that show an interest in space exploration the more pressure there will be on congress to obtain the necessary funding.

SpaceNut · 2015-03-08 17:11:30

GW Johnson wrote:

Given what I have been saying about NASA declining elsewhere, I think I'd look to the private companies to actually get this done. If one of them sees value going to the moon, something like what we are discussing is the better way to do it. It'll happen then, and not before.
GW

kbd512 wrote:

I'm not holding my breath on NASA going anywhere in my lifetime. I believe that the vast majority of our political establishment is completely uninterested in space exploration of any kind and can't or won't provide clear, consistent, and achievable objectives for NASA to accomplish. Leadership has to start at the top and we don't have any.

Maybe the letter writing rather than sending them to congress or Nasa we should try sending them to Space X, Boeing, Lockheed ect..

Terraformer · 2015-03-09 11:53:20

Perhaps come up with a viable design for an ISPP probe mission, and send it to Musk...

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#1 2006-09-13 01:31:43

Re: NASA clarifies the role of other advocacy organizations

#2 2007-05-31 19:11:46

Re: NASA clarifies the role of other advocacy organizations

#3 2007-07-25 23:45:44

Re: NASA clarifies the role of other advocacy organizations

#4 2007-07-29 14:28:36

Re: NASA clarifies the role of other advocacy organizations

#5 2015-03-08 17:11:30

Re: NASA clarifies the role of other advocacy organizations

#6 2015-03-09 11:53:20

Re: NASA clarifies the role of other advocacy organizations

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