Category Archives: Space

Economics, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Space

It’s The Way Our Fathers Did It

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So obviously, it’s the only way that it can be done:

All planning must be timid and scoped to be within the limited capabilities of what was done by past over-priced government projects. If I bought a Ford Pinto, I cannot buy a new car next time. I have to plan on car trips with the assumption that I must always own a lemon.

Quoting Homer Simpson (and apparently Lawrence Krauss)
“You tried your best and failed miserably. The lesson is: never try.”

Trying to change this mindset is a never-ending battle.

Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Space

Did Newt Wreck The Space Program?

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He sure made it a lot harder to have a serious discussion about it. And for some reason, most reporters just find it impossible to describe history accurately:

President George W. Bush planned a return to the moon, but didn’t give the program the resources advocates hoped for. President Obama scrapped Bush’s plan in favor of promoting a private sector future farther out in space, but also cut back dramatically in the face of a budget crisis.

Sigh. The administration proposed a budget increase for NASA. But instead Congress, on a bipartisan basis, added in an unneeded rocket development while cutting funds for anything useful. Because it’s all about jobs, not doing anything in space.

Business, Economics, Media Criticism, Political Commentary, Space

More Lunar Base Thoughts

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Over at Open Market, where I also discuss the Romney advisers.

[Update late afternoon]

More from Doug Messier.

Newt needs to make an issue of this before Tuesday: “Governor Romney, you said that you’d fire someone who came up with a costly plan for lunar activities, and yet you just hired someone as a space adviser who was already fired for doing just that…”

Also, here’s Marcia Smith’s report on the Romney non-event today.

[Saturday morning update]

On the 26th anniversary of the Challenger loss, Byron York has a report on the two candidates’ space policies.

[Update a few minutes later]

“Mitt Romney would have fired Mike Griffin.” I’m guessing that Jim Muncy had some input into this, and that it may become a Gingrich talking point in the next couple days. I just fed Jake Tapper some questions to ask him tomorrow morning on This Week.