Space

Sputnik Week Dust-Up

The LA Times has a feature on their editorial section called the “Dust-Up,” which is sort of a daily two-sided debate on a given issue, with each week having a theme. This week, in recognition of the half century since Sputnik, they’re hosting a dialogue between Homer Hickam and yours truly. Homer went first today, and I get the last word du jour. It will be the other way around tomorrow, when we talk about destinations.

And note, I did not lead off with “Homer, you ignorant slut.”

[Update in the evening]

I see that Keith is whining again, that I’m not sufficiently obsequious to the space agency to which I’m giving the best technical advice that I can, for pay.

Well, Keith, here’s the deal. I’m a (I like to think) competent space systems engineer, who can help NASA execute its goals, however misguided. I do that because I like to think that I have professional integrity, and (honestly) because doing such things is my job, and it’s how I pay my bills. They don’t (at least for now) pay me to tell them how to open the cosmos, so I don’t do that for pay from them. I do it in other venues. I just help them do what they’re trying to do, as mistaken as it is, as best I can.

I didn’t realize (as you seem to think) that part of my job is to praise their programs publicly, even though I think them not in the best interests of the nation, or our goals of opening space. If NASA thinks that’s part of my job, I guess I’ll hear about it. If they want to pay me to do that, I’ll consider it, but I doubt if I’d take the job.

But if they did, I think that would be a sad commentary on the federal space program, and NASA’s belief in what it’s doing. And I’m willing to stick my neck and mortgage out and continue to write what I think.

I’ll do you the courtesy of thinking that you do the same.

Political Commentary

Would Gore Have Gone Into Iraq?

Roger Simon thinks so.

I’m skeptical, at least insofar as there would have been an actual invasion and occupation. I’m not sure that he would have even overthrown the Taliban. He might have bombed the hell out of them, but I’m not convinced that we’d have a democratic government there now had Gore been in charge. I find this support for Roger’s thesis uncompelling:

The Clinton-Gore administration wasn

Weird

“I Just Flew In To Moscow…”

“…and boy, are my arms tired.” Brings a whole new meaning to the old joke:

After clinging on for the entire 1300-kilometer (808-mile) flight to Vnukovo Airport, the boy, named Andrei, collapsed onto the tarmac. His arms and legs were so severely frozen that rescuers were at first unable to remove his coat and shoes, the radio station said.

What in the world did he grab on to, at 400+ knots? I wouldn’t think that there would be much to give him a hand hold on a 737 wing, particularly in flight, once it had been trimmed out for cruise. In the wheel well, I could believe, but not on the wing.

Weird

“I Just Flew In To Moscow…”

“…and boy, are my arms tired.” Brings a whole new meaning to the old joke:

After clinging on for the entire 1300-kilometer (808-mile) flight to Vnukovo Airport, the boy, named Andrei, collapsed onto the tarmac. His arms and legs were so severely frozen that rescuers were at first unable to remove his coat and shoes, the radio station said.

What in the world did he grab on to, at 400+ knots? I wouldn’t think that there would be much to give him a hand hold on a 737 wing, particularly in flight, once it had been trimmed out for cruise. In the wheel well, I could believe, but not on the wing.

Weird

“I Just Flew In To Moscow…”

“…and boy, are my arms tired.” Brings a whole new meaning to the old joke:

After clinging on for the entire 1300-kilometer (808-mile) flight to Vnukovo Airport, the boy, named Andrei, collapsed onto the tarmac. His arms and legs were so severely frozen that rescuers were at first unable to remove his coat and shoes, the radio station said.

What in the world did he grab on to, at 400+ knots? I wouldn’t think that there would be much to give him a hand hold on a 737 wing, particularly in flight, once it had been trimmed out for cruise. In the wheel well, I could believe, but not on the wing.

Biting Commentary about Infinity…and Beyond!