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Solyndra In Space?
Open Market ^ | August 27th, 2012 | Rand Simberg

Posted on 08/27/2012 7:43:39 AM PDT by NonZeroSum

Here we go again.

It’s unfortunate that so many supposed conservatives are opposed to competitive markets in spaceflight, to the point that they embarrass themselves with ignorant rants against the Obama space policy, one of the very few things that the administration has gotten sort of right. This time, it’s at Big Government, by someone named George Landrith, and it would be an embarrassment to the late and justifiably revered Andrew Breitbart, who started that web site. To address all of the ill-informed nonsense unfortunately requires a good old-fashioned fisking (warning: long post to follow):

(Excerpt) Read more at openmarket.org ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government
KEYWORDS: nasa; space; spacex
Many conservatives and Republicans seem to be profoundly ignorant of and irrational on this subject.
1 posted on 08/27/2012 7:43:45 AM PDT by NonZeroSum
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To: NonZeroSum

George Landrith had got himself a sweet gig, writing without having to bother his pointy little head with facts and research.


2 posted on 08/27/2012 7:51:14 AM PDT by Inconvenient Truthteller
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To: NonZeroSum
I read the linked story, and frankly, it was a disjointed treatise on "how space is good" article with major references to the "SpaceX" program and how it "proved" it could dock a pressurized capsule with the ISS and how it should be an example of something.

The Solyndra link is patently weak, even almost non-existent. Loosely, somehow connecting to Obama's crony funded company (who the government auditors said couldn't work) to SpaceX.

Above all, this remark at the beginning, tells me all I need to know about the author(s):

It’s unfortunate that so many supposed conservatives are opposed to competitive markets in spaceflight, to the point that they embarrass themselves with ignorant rants against the Obama space policy, one of the very few things that the administration has gotten sort of right.

As an engineer who's actually had to run a project to design, build, test and qualify something for space applications, this article is long on political BS and very short on the mechanics of execution...I call bullshit.

3 posted on 08/27/2012 7:53:28 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: Gaffer
I read the linked story, and frankly, it was a disjointed treatise on "how space is good" article with major references to the "SpaceX" program and how it "proved" it could dock a pressurized capsule with the ISS and how it should be an example of something.

Huh?

The Solyndra link is patently weak, even almost non-existent. Loosely, somehow connecting to Obama's crony funded company (who the government auditors said couldn't work) to SpaceX.

Of course it is weak. In fact, it is non-existent. That was the point of the article. Why don't you try reading it again, this time for comprehension?

4 posted on 08/27/2012 8:22:46 AM PDT by NonZeroSum
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To: NonZeroSum

Why even mention Solyndra at all then?

I’m not going to re-read it. It’s a political push-piece that says Obama “kinda sorta done something right” .....

Trash...


5 posted on 08/27/2012 8:28:06 AM PDT by Gaffer
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To: NonZeroSum

they embarrass themselves with ignorant rants against the Obama space policy

Obama has a Space Policy?
Who knew!
What that space aliens that land in America van not be deported?


6 posted on 08/27/2012 8:45:46 AM PDT by SECURE AMERICA (Where can I sign up for the New American Revolution and the Crusades 2012?)
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To: Gaffer
Why even mention Solyndra at all then?

Because it was a response to an idiotic article at Big Government that made the connection.

As I said, if you're not going to read something carefully, don't waste our time commenting on it.

7 posted on 08/27/2012 9:03:59 AM PDT by NonZeroSum
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To: NonZeroSum

Anything that deals with Solyndra getting money from the government for anything is a no starter.

Everyone involved with Solyndra, including Obama should be in prison. I would be if I did what they did.


8 posted on 08/27/2012 11:11:53 AM PDT by OneVike (I'm just a Christian waiting to go home)
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To: NonZeroSum
Obama is getting big donations from the CEO of SpaceX. Not like Solyndra at all. /sarc

One mishap from SpaceX and they are finished. That is what our space program is based on now. One and done.

The CEO OF SpaceX said if the last launch failed. It would have been the end of SpaceX. So if they have astronauts and a failure. How long do you think a company can last after that?

9 posted on 08/27/2012 11:33:52 AM PDT by cruise_missile
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To: cruise_missile
Obama is getting big donations from the CEO of SpaceX.

Do you have a citation for that? Is he also getting big donations from Boeing? And Sierra Nevada?

One mishap from SpaceX and they are finished. That is what our space program is based on now. One and done.

This is the same kind of nonsense being criticized in the article. Are you another commenter who didn't take the time to actually read it?

10 posted on 08/27/2012 11:45:31 AM PDT by NonZeroSum
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To: NonZeroSum

Neil Armstrong Dies: He Was Against SpaceX and the Privatization of the Space Industry.
http://www.policymic.com/articles/13442/neil-armstrong-dies-he-was-against-spacex-and-the-privatization-of-the-space-industry

NASA heroes, SpaceX still at odds. Can’t we reach a detente here?
http://blog.chron.com/sciguy/2012/06/nasa-heroes-spacex-still-at-odds-cant-we-reach-a-detente-here/

The first man on the moon and the last man on the moon think just like I do.


11 posted on 08/27/2012 12:08:46 PM PDT by cruise_missile
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To: cruise_missile
The first man on the moon and the last man on the moon think just like I do.

I hope they weren't both as unaware of what's actually happening as you seem to be.

Gene Cernan actually was, and he admitted it:

Cernan, Jurvetson recalls, asked a lot of questions about the company and its funding. “As I told him these stories of heroic entrepreneurship, I could see his mind turning,” Jurvetson wrote. “He found a reconciliation: ‘I never read any of this in the news. Why doesn’t the press report on this?’” In fact, many of the ups and downs about SpaceX that Jurvetson recounted to Cernan have been reported in the media—including during a certain 60 Minutes segment.

You didn't answer my question. Do you think that Boeing is also a big Obama contributor? Did you actually read the article that you're ignorantly spouting off about?

12 posted on 08/27/2012 12:39:17 PM PDT by NonZeroSum
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To: NonZeroSum
I worked for twenty five years for Raytheon. I was technical lead on AMRAAM and was project lead for satellite ground stations (JSAT and MEASAT). So I have a technical background.

I basically do not like the way Obama has handled NASA. On many levels. Starting with Muslim outreach to outsourcing our manned astronaut program to Russia. That's just for starters.

One thing I do know is how litigious this society is. One and done is exactly what I meant. SpaceX has one miss hap they will be finished.
Besides that the CEO OF SpaceX said at the last launch that if that wasn't a success that would have been it. A great vote of confidence there.

Typically most aerospace companies heavily subsidize both parties.
I've seen interviews with the CEO of SpaceX. It was like a political advertisement for Obama.

I looked at some of your other posts you tend to lash out into ad hominem attacks.

13 posted on 08/27/2012 12:57:24 PM PDT by cruise_missile
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To: cruise_missile
I worked for twenty five years for Raytheon. I was technical lead on AMRAAM and was project lead for satellite ground stations (JSAT and MEASAT). So I have a technical background.

So? That doesn't change the fact that you don't seem to be following what is actually happening in space, as demonstrated by your next paragraph.

I basically do not like the way Obama has handled NASA. On many levels. Starting with Muslim outreach to outsourcing our manned astronaut program to Russia. That's just for starters.

a) Despite Bolden's foolish comment on Al Jazeera, there is no "Muslim outreach."

b) Obama didn't "outsource our manned astronaut program to Russia -- George Bush did. Obama came up with a plan to end our dependence on the Russians as soon as possible, utilizing commercial crew, and Congress refuses to fund it adequately. I am no fan of Barack Obama, but I at least understand what's going on.

One thing I do know is how litigious this society is. One and done is exactly what I meant. SpaceX has one miss hap they will be finished.

Repeating nonsense doesn't render it true.

Besides that the CEO OF SpaceX said at the last launch that if that wasn't a success that would have been it.

He did not say that. If you think he did, provide a link. Again, you don't know what you're talking about.

14 posted on 08/27/2012 1:19:51 PM PDT by NonZeroSum
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