Conference 7.286::space

    Don't draw too harsh a comparison between the work performed on the
    Titan SRMs and the shuttle SRBs. The Titan has one major advantage in
    that it does not have to be reuseable. By this stage in Titan
    evolution, the SRMs are fairly stable, as is vehicle design. If I
    remember correctly, the corrections required were in
    handling/processing and not design (I haven't read the latest AW&ST yet
    so I stand to be corrected).
    
    Large reuseable solids are still in their infancy.
    
    One major difference that I did see was that the USAF quietly went
    about preparing for a full scale vertical test firing, something that
    NASA vacillated over for a long time (I am not commenting on the end
    decision to test horizontally, just the process used to make that
    decision). 
    
    On your last point. What should NASA be doing? I maintain that their
    job should be R&D and exploration, not launching comsats etc on a
    production basis. 
    
    gary
                     

    The DoD, it seems to me, has a big advantage over NASA in that they
    are more readily able to plan and execute long-range projects, in
    the "interest of national defense". NASA on the other hand has to
    scramble for funding of various projects yearly, and deal with major
    policy shifts every four years. Unfortunately, supporting NASA doesn't
    seem to win many votes.
    Nothing new here, but you did ask for comments.... -Tom R.

    	The congress's lack of enthusiastic support for NASA is something
    I've never been able to understand, on a gut level.
      * It is evident that lobbiests (sp?) for most everything bang
    on defence and space programs, but
      * If you go to the NASM in D.C. or something local like the Omni
    Theatre at the Bos. Science Museum, you can see the public's enthusiasm
    for space.  Somehow, I guess, this just doesn't get communicated
    to their/our elected 'representatives'. 
    	I'm wondering if the companies that would benifit from an enlarged
    NASA budget shouldn't be doing a better PR job... Maybe fund a space
    advocacy group that doesn't have a far-fetched reputation. [I'm
    a former L5 member and SF reader and know the lots-of-enthusiasm-but-
    not-too-sharp type well.]  Maybe I just ought to drop in on my 
    congress critter when he sets up shop at our Town Hall, and let
    my frustration be known.  I don't know...    - Chris

         
         I think that a major part of the problem with spending
         money on a space program is that congress, as well as
         most commercial businesses are more concerned with the
         short term payback than long term ones.  Why else would
         non-manned launches out number manned launches?  Because
         there is an immediate payback!
         
         The space program in this country will not reach the speed of
         evoulution that the computer industry has enjoyed. Well, not
         until there is something which is produced or mined in space
         which cannot be produced or mined more economically than it
         can on Earth.  Only then it will produce an immediate profit
         for some organization, be it public or private, and that's
         when $money$ will be generated to feed back into the space
         industry. 
         
         Yes, there are things that you can produce in space that you
         can't produce as well as on the planet, but the cost of space
         production is prohibitive and currently outweigh the
         advantages. 
         
         I think the reason the DoD has lots of money for space
         programs is because they have LOTs of money!  Any
         organization which would pay a few bucks for one bolt or
         one screw has lots of money to spread around.  The more
         exotic the project the more money it gets. 
         
         Chris

    	Wrong!  Dod has lots of money for space because they see an
    immediate payback on it.  Many people don't know the full extent
    that the military is into space.  What with spy sats and nav sats.
    Now we've got the really big block buster SDI looming on the horizon.
    Dod sees space as an extension of the battle zone and as such is
    determined to make sure they have the advantage.  Hence the heavy
    spending on space.  If they didn't get any payback on going into
    space then they wouldn't be there.  They just don't throw money
    into a project because it exists.
    	I don't think that the space adventures of the human race is
    really going to go anywhere until we find somthing economically
    worthwhile to to do "up there".  Remember that the main motivation
    of the Old World to explore the New World was economic (gold, spices,
    etc.).
    	All this supports what you said.  If you really want to see
    a space exploration boom, wait 'til they discover that some of the
    asteroids are over 50% pure gold.  You'll see so many rockets blasting
    off you'll think it's WWIII. :-)         
    
    Rich

    The DoD obviously realizes the importance of not falling behind
    in basic space technology research. To let it lag would create
    for them, an almost insurmountable (sp?) gap that may never
    be closed (quickly).
    
    It would be naive to think that future space exploration will
    be devoid of any military presence. I believe the real show
    stopping events (such as planet exploration, etc.) will be
    left to the civilians while the military will be the
    designated "police force."
    
    

    For what ever the political reasons the current DoD effort is indeed
    going up in space, and that is something NASA is falling short on.
    I agree that the program planning and the ability to obtain the
    funding is falling toward DoD.  I do not like to see an independent
    research process in the DoD and feel this is best left with NASA
    but will support any organization that can get the US off the dime.
    If it takes the DoD funding to get a sorely needed reliable launch
    process in working order for large payloads then we can once again
    look toward the stellar skys with the stars and stripes out there.
    Who cares if the DoD or the Nasa pennant is on top.  I have always
    seen the yield to reason on the part of either organization when
    need arose.  The most recent performance has left NASA so far out
    of Space that we have just seen how weak of an adminstration we
    are getting for the $.