Newt Gingrich and Bob Walker Endorse Obama's New NASA Plan

[sunzt]

Maybe there is some hope for bipartisanship out there.

http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=30238

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and former House Science and Technology Committee Chairman Robert S. Walker have published an op-ed stating, "The Obama administration's budget for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration deserves strong approval from Republicans. The 2011 spending plan for the space agency does what is obvious to anyone who cares about man's future in space and what presidential commissions have been recommending for nearly a decade."

Their op-ed in The Washington Times, titled "Obama's Brave Reboot for NASA," can be read at http://washingtontimes.com/news/2010/feb/12/obamas-brave-reboot-for-nasa/

In the op-ed, Gingrich and Walker state, "Bipartisan cooperation has been difficult to achieve in Congress, but here is a chance. By looking forward, NASA has given us a way to move forward. It deserves broad support for daring to challenge the status quo."

Gingrich, who is on the board of governors of the National Space Society, and Walker, who was chairman of the Commission on the Future of the United States Aerospace Industry, add, "In the same way the railroads opened the American West, commercial access can open vast new opportunities in space." They state that commercial spaceflight "has the potential of creating thousands of new jobs, largely the kind of high-tech work to which our nation should aspire."

 

[TechBoyJK]

If newt approves something that is so controversial from the dem's, then it might be a good thing.

 

[Robor]

Definitely good news on one front (NASA).

 

[Fern]

"In the same way the railroads opened the American West, commercial access can open vast new opportunities in space." They state that commercial spaceflight "has the potential of creating thousands of new jobs, largely the kind of high-tech work to which our nation should aspire."

And who, pray tell, will be the customer(s) of this new "private space industry"? Average people traveled on the railroads and depended on them for the transport of everyday products. Who the heck needs needs spaceships?

I can't think of many outside of the US government. Perhaps some communication companies will need satelittes launched. Just seems to me like another military industrial complex; their big, if not only, client is the US gov.

Of course carreer politicians would love this, so much more lobbying money coming their way while they disburse our taxpayer funds to these for-profit companies. It seems to me that costs will rise, not lower. If we all, or even many of us, had need of private space travel I could understand. But we don't.

Fern

 

[sunzt]

And who, pray tell, will be the customer(s) of this new "private space industry"? Average people traveled on the railroads and depended on them for the transport of everyday products. Who the heck needs needs spaceships?

I can't think of many outside of the US government. Perhaps some communication companies will need satelittes launched. Just seems to me like another military industrial complex; their big, if not only, client is the US gov.

Of course carreer politicians would love this, so much more lobbying money coming their way while they disburse our taxpayer funds to these for-profit companies. It seems to me that costs will rise, not lower. If we all, or even many of us, had need of private space travel I could understand. But we don't.

Fern

#1 Problem to space commercialization and privatization: Cost of getting there. Most of the private space companies are working to solve this problem and solutions will become more affordable in the future.

#2 Problem to space commercialization and privatization: Lack of destinations. There is only 1 feasible destination in space right now, the ISS. There are only a few (1-3) start ups working this problem with the most prominent being Bigelow Aerospace, unfortunately. This will be much more $$$$ intensive than #1 and will be solved much later.

 

[shiner]

And who, pray tell, will be the customer(s) of this new "private space industry"? Average people traveled on the railroads and depended on them for the transport of everyday products. Who the heck needs needs spaceships?

Me, and I want a ship that can make the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs.

 

[zsdersw]

And who, pray tell, will be the customer(s) of this new "private space industry"? Average people traveled on the railroads and depended on them for the transport of everyday products. Who the heck needs needs spaceships?

I can't think of many outside of the US government. Perhaps some communication companies will need satelittes launched. Just seems to me like another military industrial complex; their big, if not only, client is the US gov.

That there isn't a market currently doesn't mean there won't be in the future.

 

[Fern]

That there isn't a market currently doesn't mean there won't be in the future.

The country has a current need, if only for national security. Who's going to go up and launch or fix satelittes the military etc uses? Obama wants to extend the space station, how are our astronauts gonna get there etc? What if some new development requires our gov to make a trip into orbit?

IMO, you switch to commerical after it's developed and proven.

Otherwise my point still stands, practically the only customer now is the government. It is cheaper and more secure for the government to provide that service to itself, more so since that capability has already been developed. No need to throw it away.

And as far as business goes, demand is what fuels business and not the other way around. You don't create a business like 'private space travel' and expect demand to suddently appear. There's an old expression in business about "not trying to push a string through a straw". You pull it through, likewise demand needs needs to draw a business if it's going to be successful. If people think demand will come, then let business pursue it as some are now.

What's NASA gonna do with it's proprietary technology that we've taxpayers have paid for? Throw it away? Give it a way? Sell it? who's gonna end up with it?

Why are we surrendering one of the few areas we lead in? (Particularly if it's gonna be a good business in the future).

Fern

 

[piasabird]

We might need slave laborers to work on the mines of mars or the moon of jupiter.

Casino's in space!

 

[Carmen813]

Me, and I want a ship that can make the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs.

But a parsec is a measure of distance not velocity...

 

[nobodyknows]

Casino's in space!

LOL, just picture all them drunks gambling in zero gravity. Wait, better not. LOL.