The Augustine Report will be released on Thursday:
According to information from committee insiders, the report will be long, in some cases contradictory, and also be written in a way that could leave the meaning of some of the 10-member committee’s findings open to interpretation.
This may not end well. Based on the history of space policy, that would be the way to bet.
Well, if it would be short and concise, about 1% of people will agree with it anyway.
And there is a 0.1% likelihood of it having any real impact on space policy, based on past experience.
So the goal is to talk around and over all the rubes?
That’s just silly, since the only people who even know this is going on, are people who aren’t silly rubes, but people who love space, and it’s impossible to be such without reading opinions like yours, and others.
I don’t know what is right, what is best, what is the optimal goal.
But I’m not a rube, I’m not a sucker, I’m not “the masses” I know that there IS a debate.
I don’t know what is best, but, I know that there IS a debate.
Unlike most.
This whole debate has strengthened my conviction government should probably not be in the space business. Or any business. I find the whole thing infuriating and it isn’t even my money since I’m not a US citizen. It does affect what’s being done with my money since ESA collaborates with NASA, but I’m mostly upset about squandering the best opportunity in a generation to open up space for mankind. It is so frustrating to see that special interests will do their level best to frustrate commercial development of space. The level of ignorance, the lies and the hypocrisy are breathtaking.
Well, at least incidents like this help reduce the number of (to use Stalin’s phrase) “useful idiots” still supporting NASA.
Here, here!
I’ve often voiced my support for the Constitutional Amendment that would require a bill to have a title and all contents of the bill to be related to that title.
For spending money, I’d be even more strict. Each expenditure should be accompanied by a stated, actionable goal of no more than one or two sentences. In the case of NASA I would something like “To reliably send probes and missions to the farthest reaches of our Solar System for the lowest per-mission cost.”, but honestly any one clear, goal would have to be better than 10 pages of openly contradictory and vague “guidelines.” If our government cannot agree on why money should be spent, it shouldn’t be spent. Period. Let the private sector keep the taxes.
“long, in some cases contradictory, and also be written in a way that could leave the meaning . . . open to interpretation.”
Sorry Rand, for a moment there, I thought you were talking about the Max Baucus bill . . .
“written in a way that could leave the meaning of some of the 10-member committee’s findings open to interpretation”
Um, are you sure you are not talking about the Orange Catholic Bible?
“We see . . . plans within plans, Paul.”
Once all of the constituencies with a piece of Ares pie have their say, Augustine 2.0 will be pushed to the side. Which is a shame, because Augustine 2.0 has some very good things to say, especially regarding the need for commercial transport to low earth orbit. But it’s just as easy for politicians to ignore Augustine 2.0 as it was to ignore Augustine 1.0. Barring any kind of major issue with Ares I-X, I think Augustine 2.0 is dead in the water.
“like the bible” ?? C’mon – gotta ping you on that.
Starting to fit into the Left coast pretty quickly, yes?
C’mon – gotta ping you on that.
On what? In what way is it an inaccurate description of the Bible (other than possibly being written by a committee, but I think that even Christians admit that it was written by more than one person).
Starting to fit into the Left coast pretty quickly, yes?
No. I haven’t changed at all. Other than being happy to have cool weather, and scenery.