Roger Handberg has a useful history of NASA and its budgets for those who still fantasize that we can (or should) resurrect Apollo.
2 thoughts on “Reality Bites”
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Roger Handberg has a useful history of NASA and its budgets for those who still fantasize that we can (or should) resurrect Apollo.
Comments are closed.
Actually Handberg’s analysis is far more comprehensive than you imply. He suggests that any kind of exploration effort is going to run into difficulties. He has some very direct, almost harsh, things to say about New Space, which he regards as long on hyper but short on actual accomplishment. His point is that we have not addressed the problems of aligning resources with aspirations no matter what approach is used. That will be a problem even if the Obama train wreck survives intact.
Sobering reading, and a reminder that even the likes of SpaceX and Bigelow are companies somewhere in the middle between new and old space – which way will they eventually slide? They are vulnerable, and not necessarily the best/most adaptable technological paths to the future.
Safe and solid commercial space should preferably take advantage but not depend on NASA funding/markets. Space programs that require big funding are just not wise, and small, safer, space programs/business models are a very different paradigm.