Thoughts and some history from Bob Zubrin. The plan, at least as stated by Bob, has a (as Newt would say) “fundamental” flaw in it:
There would be at least two prizes: a $5 billion prize to develop and demonstrate a heavy-lift booster capable of lifting at least 100 tons to low Earth orbit, and a $10 billion prize for the first human mission to Mars. In addition, the winners of these prizes would be given contracts for the purchase by NASA of an additional five copies of their flight systems at a recurring cost of 20 percent of the respective prize per copy.
Prizes should specify the goal, not the means to achieve it. It presumes without evidence the need for an arbitrarily-sized heavy lifter. Bob, if you want to get to Mars, then put out a prize for Mars, but don’t tell people how to do it.
Does he not see himself as others see him? I noticed that myself when watching the show.
My guess. If he’s like me, his facial hair went gray first, so he started dying it. Then the rest of his hair started to go gray, but he decided that it was too much work, or cost, or something to dye it, but he kept doing the stache out of habit. Or something.
This story is very misleading, in that it implies that the only problem with first-stage vibrations was astronauts’ inability to read displays. The solution described here does nothing to address the actual structural issues in the second stage that the resonance creates. That was no five-dollar fix.
Last night, Cummings released a 95 page waste of paper and taxpayer money report, alleging that top Justice Department officials did not authorize the program, despite evidence showing otherwise. The report tries to pin the blame back on a few “rogue” managers in the ATF Phoenix Field Division. This is the same argument we’ve heard since the beginning of the scandal: it was a local operation, nobody important knew anything.
It worked pretty well in the Clinton administration, since the media aided and abetted them. They’ll try again this time, but I think that it may be a little tougher, with the new media watching.