MSNBC actually has a pretty well-balanced story on the new policy, and some (but not all) of the old-guard astronauts’ opposition to it (more here — I’m disappointed to see my old boss Glynn Lunney on the list — I need to call him and straighten him out). That’s probably because Alan Boyle was involved. Unfortunately, so was Jay Barbree, who still thinks that SpaceX is the only potential commercial provider for human spaceflight.
Clark Lindsey is appropriately unimpressed with the opponents’ arguments (such as they are). I agree with him that they denote a lack of seriousness, and attention to what’s been going on. I’m working on an op-ed for AOL News along the same lines to coincide with tomorrow’s festivities at KSC.
The problem here is that while Armstrong and company are wrong on the issues, the public is likely to see it their way. Like it or not, these guys (especially Armstrong) are icons who have more street cred on this kind of thing than any political appointee. That’s the way most Americans are likely to see it anyway.
If the Administration had been smarter about the roll out of this thing, most people would have understood why the policy had to be altered. They weren’t, so most don’t. My only hope here is that the Administration’s friends don’t decide to try to destroy these men because they disagree with the policy.
Actually, contrary to Clark, I think most people get it. Obama is canceling space exploration. Those who think otherwise may reflect on the question of what the metrics are for restarting it under Obamaspace.
There are none.
Mark, Obama is not canceling space exploration.. how do I know this? Because Obama *can’t* cancel space exploration. I really wish more americans had any idea about their own political process to understand the limits of the different branches of government.
Obama is canceling space exploration
Hi Mark. Nice to hear from you. I thought that the internet connection between that other dimension fantasy world of yours and the rest of us was shut down. Hope you are enjoying the visit !
-the crowd
If the Administration had been smarter about the roll out of this thing, most people would have understood why the policy had to be altered.
How many times are we going to hear the, “If only we had expressed ourselves better about this issue the rubes would understand how scary-smart our policy is,” excuse in defense of the most articulate president in the history of mankind?
Despite the histrionics of people like Mark (Obama’s not “cancelling” exploration, he’s just pulling out the eye teeth), there are genuine concerns about Obama’s policy. Like, how are we to believe that this policy is going to be implemented any better than something like his weatherization program (states participating so far: 2, jobs created: zero[?]) or the so very much hyped stimulus program? Talking big about “commercialization” is all very nice, but coming from an administration that has gone completely in the opposite direction in so many other spheres (cars, banking, healthcare) we’re supposed to believe that on this one issue, space, Obama is the biggest capitalist ever?
No, he’s kicking the can down the road. He gets to dump the baggage of a less-than-perfect program, garner the support of the very vocal NewSpace crowd, and create enough confusion so that no real commitment or progress has to be made. All he has to do to get that is toss a little more money at NASA — small potatoes compared to the rest of his agenda.
What Armstrong, et al, are addressing is that we’re not going to see a real commercial MSF/NASA partnership while Obama is in office. Instead, we’re going to be strung along as Obama makes NASA rely on Russia. IOW, business as usual with the Russian albatross around our necks.
Starless,
No one in the past 14 months of the current Administration has ever accused me of being an Obama worshiper or defender. While it is true that the “we didn’t explain it well enough” excuse has been used a lot with this Administration, in this case it happens to be true. The conversation so far has been between those of us with a real interest (on both sides) in the issues involved, not the general public. To let that conversation go on so long without addressing the legitimate concerns of everyone involved was a mistake. Now it becomes a fight between Obama (who already has some credibility issues) and some very powerful icons.
No one in the past 14 months of the current Administration has ever accused me of being an Obama worshiper or defender.
I didn’t think you were and I wasn’t suggesting that the motivation behind your statement was partisan.
While it is true that the “we didn’t explain it well enough” excuse has been used a lot with this Administration, in this case it happens to be true.
I disagree. As with healthcare, I think they explained it as well as they intended and I think that anyone with any interest (including the so-called “general public) could see what was coming a mile away.
The conversation so far has been between those of us with a real interest (on both sides) in the issues involved, not the general public. To let that conversation go on so long without addressing the legitimate concerns of everyone involved was a mistake.
Again, as with healthcare, I don’t think they’re particularly interested in a “conversation”. Initially releasing their space plan as a bare budget proposal is a way of saying, “This is what we’re going to do — you can like it or lump it”.
Now it becomes a fight between Obama (who already has some credibility issues) and some very powerful icons.
There is no real fight.
Okay, that was all a bit negative-sounding, so let me say this: it would be really great if commercial space were to get a real boost and become a robust industry outside of the satellite business. If the feds were capable of actually being helpful in this area, I say they should go full speed ahead. And more to what I’m (sort of) getting at, if presidential space plans were to be believed, I might be able to be enthusiastic about this one but, face it, if you look at all of the plans over all of the years, what you will see is a long string of heartbreak and paper spacecraft. So what makes Obama’s plan so much more awesome than any other president’s? Because he said nice things about commercial space? Because his plans involve bringing companies like SpaceX under de facto federal control? (If you’ve ever worked at a company where the feds become your largest contractor, you know what I mean by that.) I don’t see why I should believe this plan any more than any other plan.
What really gets me — what really makes me scratch my head — is why people like Rand have seemingly zealously jumped head first onto the ObamaSpace bandwagon, derisively dismissing critics and telling them in essence, that the “science is settled”, when it comes to ObamaSpace.