Eric Berger describes potential changes in policy in a Trump administration. Not sure why they would consolidate Goddard and Ames in Huntsville. This would also make it inconvenient for Goddard to work with APL at Johns Hopkins.
5 thoughts on “The latest NASA Rumors”
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Why does the work at Ames need to be done in California? In fact, what are they actually doing these days?
They may still do wind-tunnel work there. And its proximity to Silicon Valley was helpful in nurturing public/private partnerships (e.g., Planetlabs), at least when Worden was there.
From what we were hearing (and seeing with our own eyes), Goddard is moving (per Project 2040) from Integration and Test – OSAM cancelled and RST last big project left – to a more environmental studies center. Most of the work is moving to the scientists, mainly having them manufacture small instruments that will be launched to study mostly Earth. Sucks to see all those I&T jobs leaving.
The best item on the (rumor) list is moving HQ to a Center. I’d pick either MSFC, JSC, or KSC (though KFC would be funnier), but nothing in California, Virginia or Maryland. After Apollo, NASA HQ never controlled NASA, partly because it had to be politically deferential to all of the representatives (and lobbyists) of states where the Centers were located. Our space program then became more of what the Soviets had from the very beginning – a disorganized mess, with no focused goal(s), with every project either being cancelled or completely redefined every time the Chief Designers and various bureaucrats held a meeting of any kind, often on intervals as short as two months. In other words, not a “program” at all, just a constant political pissing contest with no accomplishments (Mars exploration for NASA is the exception).
I don’t know that we can change it, but having a powerful Center (in a “red state”) in charge might give us a chance.
A lot of people are worried that SpaceX will get all the money because Musk and Trump are corrupt but while I think SpaceX will continue to do well because they do good, they know they can’t do it all and will need a lot of help from other businesses to achieve Musk’s goals.
Trust people to do what is in their interest and it is in SpaceX’s interest that there is a thriving and competitive space industry. I predict they will be supportive of other’s drive for success, even Bezos.
OT: The spell check on Fire tablets always wants to autocorrect Bezos to Besos, which is the funniest thing ever but also really annoying after the first couple of times.