Is NASA starting to sprout a little fur?

NASA's news release said a memorandum of understanding called for the agency's Ames Research Center to work together with Virgin Galactic, the space tourism company founded by British billionaire Richard Branson, to "explore possible collaborations in several technical areas, including hybrid rocket motors and hypersonic vehicles capable of traveling five or more times the speed of sound, employing NASA Ames' unique capabilities and world-class facilities."

NASA said the agreement was negotiated through NASA’s Space Portal, a newly formed organization in the NASA Research Park at Ames that looks for ways to promote the development of the commercial space economy. The space agency said that the pact would be in effect for two years, and that neither party would be required to pay the other to support the areas of possible collaboration.

This kind of collaboration can be useful, as long as the private folks are careful not to put the agency on the critical path. And note that it's with Ames, arguably the most forward-thinking center, at least currently, under the tutelage of Pete Worden.

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look at these SIX amazing 3-D images (to see with RED-BLUE glasses) of the Moon soil/rocks published on the Popular Science website:

http://www.popsci.com/popsci/aviationspace/8cf3e3ca777c0110vgnvcm1000004eecbccdrcrd.html

the pictures are the only TRUE stereoscopic images ever made of the Moon!

they were taken by the Apollo 11, 12 and 14 astronauts using a close-range (six-inch) stereo camera designed by Tommy Gold (a Cornell University space scientist)

to best view all 3-D images, see them at two/three feet of distance from computer's screen, with low room's lights and the browser in Full Screen mode (press F11 key)

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if you want to see FOUR other amazing (and UNIQUE in the world) 3-D images about SPACE click here:

http://www.gaetanomarano.it/articles/002shuttle3D.html

the images are about the Space Shuttle Discovery, a Lunar Space Station, a Spacewalk and an Apollo astronaut's jump on the Moon

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last but not least, don't miss these NINE (professional-made) 3-D images from the Sports Illustrated swimsuit's website:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/2007_swimsuit/3d/07_3d_1.html

in my opinion the MOST AMAZING of the nine images is the picture #9 here:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/2007_swimsuit/3d/07_3d_9.html

if you look the image in the RIGHT position and WAIT a moment, the girl seems you completely OUTSIDE the screen!

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about the "Too Much For Too Little" debate... see my "VISUAL Shuttle to Capsule comparison" article:

http://www.gaetanomarano.it/articles/008visual.html

it clearly shows WHY moving from Shuttles to Capsules (ONLY) is a GIANT REGRESS and will give a (10+ times) increase of costs to launch the same astronauts/cargo

NASA needs to become like CalTrans. Build the infrastructure and let others do the driving.

I still think they should build an orbital gas station. Work with industry to find out what fuel would be best (I'm thinking Kerosine from what Bob Zubrin said about ease of handling, etc) and then have the shuttles put some up there. Being able to tank up in orbit would change the dynamics of LOE in many positive ways and would help bootstrap our space civilization.

But what do I know, I'm a space enthusiest, not a rocket scientist.

NASA needs to stop building infra-structure.

NASA needs to become like a real R&D Agency,
wether that's DARPA, NIH, NSF,

They need to have some unique facilities for experimentation,
and they need to fund basic technology and research.

NASA needs to stop building spacecraft and instead
be building instruments.

All that kicking about Triana, aside, if NASA had been
quietly paying for Sensors to sit on CommSats in GEO,
with 6 of these, we'd be able to assemble a
permanent virtual view of the earth.

I'm still missing any downsides to having NASA set a fixed price for in-orbit delivery of always-needed consumables at a fixed value of "half what we can do it for."

Like CalTrans? Do you live in California? We call them "CalTrop" here.