Space

Off To The Cape

They’ve made a decision to fly tomorrow with the flaky pump (probably the right one under the circumstances) and it’s seventy percent chance of good weather for an 11:40 AM launch. Morning is better than afternoon, when the showers start to cook up. So I guess we’ll get up early, drive up and take our chances.

[Update early Friday morning]

Dang. Another fuel sensor problem, just like last year. I would waive the rule, or change it entirely (it was an overreaction to Columbia) and fly with only three, but I wish I knew they were going to do that before we drive up.

Space

Decision Explained

The source selection rationale is apparently out for the CEV decision:

Doug Cooke, NASA’s source selection authority, wrote in the Aug. 31 document that although both team’s proposals were sound, Lockheed’s possessed a “clear advantage.” Both received ratings of “very good” in overall mission suitability, but Lockheed’s was numerically ranked somewhat higher because of its superior technical approach.

…Cooke deemed Lockheed’s past performance on Phase 1 of the CEV program “exceptional,” saying there is “no better predictor” for how a company will perform in Phase 2. Lockheed’s past performance was rated “very good,” and Northrop/Boeing’s was rated “good.”

Good apparently wasn’t good enough.

I wonder if Northrop Grumman and Boeing are reconsidering their future relationship. I think that part of the strategy of the team became obsolete when Admiral Steidle was forced out by Mike Griffin. It looked as though the team was designed to appeal to him (having Northrop Grumman, a major Joint Strike Fighter contractor) leading would give him more comfort than Boeing (Steidle was in charge of the program during its development). But with Steidle’s departure, the spiral development concept vanished, as did the NGB basic strategy.

I suspect that there was a lot of complacency on the team as well, though, due to all of the manned space heritage within Boeing. Many probably couldn’t imagine NASA going with anyone else.

Political Commentary

Another Way The Bush Administration Screwed Up

Here’s a post, just for those morons who continue to believe that I’m a Bush shill, or parrot Republican talking points:

…as a proud Briton, I am not prepared to be a client of the United States. The coalition of the willing was, in effect, a coalition of two. Of course Britain is the junior partner, but she is a partner, and not a low-level employee. What is special about the relationship for us? America gets a European partner, world class intel, nuclear subs, men, whole regions pacified and many millions of your taxpayer dollars saved.

What does Britain get? MFN trading status?

America is going to have to give something to this relationship, and I do not mean a standing ovation for the PM in Congress. We stand with you far more than any European ally, but receive no special treatment in dollars or in trade. Usually, we do not even receive respect.

Yes, Bush is incompetent, in many ways. But as Lincoln said of Grant, “he fights.” At least occasionally.

Governments in general are incompetent. But a Kerry administration would have been even worse. We always have to choose between the less evil of two lessers.

Technology and Society

Splog Overload

Here’s an interesting article at Wired about spam blogs, a problem that could take down the blogosphere if the search engines can’t get it under control. I’ve had to ban blogspot.com from comments and pings a few months ago because there were so many comments and pings coming from blogspot splogs. One other warning for people like Jeff Foust:

Another giveaway: Both Some Title and the grave-robbing page it links to had Web addresses in the .info domain. Spammers flock to .info, which was created as an alternative to the crowded .com, because its domain names are cheaper

Biting Commentary about Infinity…and Beyond!