Interesting Article About NASA

[Ryan Albright]

A Local reporter wrote this for the Orlando Sentinel about NASA.

Calling the Space Shuttle useless, Space Station useless, Basically all of NASA useless.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...4211596.column

*DISCLAIMER*Just off the note I am not saying I agree with the article. I just posted it for discussion

[ScottOliveira]

It is true that NASA routinely goes overbudget and suffers delays. However the same is true for many government contractors and agencies. NASA tends to go even more overbudget, because they have a very difficult task. How many FIRST teams could keep to their budgets and timelines if once they shipped the bot they could never work on it again (i.e. no repairs or modifications at regionals, everything has to run as is, and no battery changes). NASA has to try to make machines with as close to a 0% failure rate as possible, and it is never easy to try to do something like that.

[Ryan Albright]

Originally Posted by ScottOliveira

It is true that NASA routinely goes overbudget and suffers delays. However the same is true for many government contractors and agencies. NASA tends to go even more overbudget, because they have a very difficult task. How many FIRST teams could keep to their budgets and timelines if once they shipped the bot they could never work on it again (i.e. no repairs or modifications at regionals, everything has to run as is, and no battery changes). NASA has to try to make machines with as close to a 0% failure rate as possible, and it is never easy to try to do something like that.

*DISCLAIMER*Just off the note I am not saying I agree with the article. I just posted it for discussion

[Zflash]

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2006/...moon_rocks_an/

Maybe someone could forward the above article, or one like it to Mr. Thomas.

EDIT: I just did and you can too mthomas@orlandosentinel.com

[Molten]

I agree the man is mistaken on multiple counts. But lets not spam his inbox with dozens of email saying the same thing. ZFlash has already indicated the link to him. I, for one, would be really annoyed if the same article showed up in my inbox 50 times.

CD isn't about forcing information onto people, it is about making it available to them.

It's available to him, now let's just leave it at that.

Sorry for the ramble, I just really don't like the mob mentality.

[Zflash]

Originally Posted by Molten

Sorry for the ramble, I just really don't like the mob mentality.

I was not encouraging a mob on the man's inbox. I was merely pointing out how I thought he was mistaken and a way for others if they deemed it necessary to do so as well. As far as whether he thought he was mistaken I can tell you that his viewpoint has not changed.

[Lil' Lavery]

I think many people have taken the wrong perspective to this article. They are vastly overstating what he said.
I don't agree with him entirely, but he came NOWHERE CLOSE to calling NASA "useless." He's saying their are problems with how NASA is being run, its current agenda, and its spending. The author is guilty of some overstatement and hyperbole, but just because that upsets you is no reason to throw away the points and issues he raises.
Do I agree with all of his points? No.
Am I upset with his oversimplification of many programs? Yes.
Is he calling for the destruction or privatization of NASA? No.

[ScottOliveira]

Originally Posted by Ryan Albright

*DISCLAIMER*Just off the note I am not saying I agree with the article. I just posted it for discussion

I understand, I'm simply commenting on the opinions of the author of the article. I hope you didn't interpret my post as hostile towards you.

[Ryan Albright]

Originally Posted by ScottOliveira

I understand, I'm simply commenting on the opinions of the author of the article. I hope you didn't interpret my post as hostile towards you.

Not at all I just wanted to make sure I put that in there because after I read my post it kind of sounded like I agreed with him on everything