Shuttle and Space Station were Mistakes, Space Agency Chief Tells US Daily

AFP ^ | 9/28/05

[tricky_k_1972]

It wasn't just the tank, the shuttle itself was heavier than the others, this type of science and repair of the hubble were about all it was up to (no pun intended).

[saganite]

One word. Space elevator. Well--- that's two words.

[sono]

Let's go for this one instead ...
http://www.space.com/businesstechnology/technology/space_elevator_020327-1.html

[Knitting A Conundrum]

I am hoping they can figure out all the tech involved...it would sure be a better way if they can make it work...

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Actually, being an old timer, I still think of it as the Beanstalk....

[FreedomCalls]

If the launch rate for shuttle had been reasonable ...

But it hasn't. We're now into our third year with only one shuttle launch to show for it. The unfortunate reality of the choice is a working station on orbit at 51.5° or one at the bottom of the Pacific at 28°.

[saganite]

I just posted an article on it here.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1493076/posts

[Androcles]

Big Duh from me on this. I once got in trouble at NASA for sending an official E-mail calling the ISS Mir-II.

That wasn't very nice! Mir was a great piece of hardware that performed robustly, outlived its design life and produced plenty of data, especially on long term physiological effects from space. The ISS on the other hand...well, if I shared my true feelings on it we'd all learn some new words and I'd be banned.

[RightWhale]

How will the Stairway save anything such as $$$$? I feel it when I climb the steps of the Washington Monument. Climbing all the way to geosynch level would probably give me muscle spasms for a week.

[saganite]

I see you changed your tagline. Where did you see a snowflake?

[RightWhale]

In my yard. It is kind of cold and drizzling, and once in a while there is a snowflake among the raindrops. Weatherman says less than an inch tonight. Oh, this is Interior Alaska.

[RightWhale]

The original elevator had a counterweight system like the big ones. The design they are tossing around now does not, or at least they aren't emphasizing it. The counterweight is the key.

[saganite]

I'm sitting in Anchorage right now. A bit chilly but no snow.

[RightWhale]

It's wet here and has been wet for a couple weeks. The temperature has stayed above 35 all along, but it looks like it's going below 30 tonight.

[saganite]

I think the counter weight is an essential part of the elevator, just not mentioned. I can't see how it would work otherwise.

[anymouse]

In private industry, management mistakes affect the investor and employees, and yes the management. Most feel sorry for employees laid off because of bad management decisions, and more than a few people feel those bad corporate decisions when their mutual fund tanks, but few have any sympathy for managers that screw up.

In government programs, management mistakes affect the taxpayers and government dependents, but rarely does it affect those government decision makers that screwed up.

If you can't feel sorry for the taxpayer, I would at least think that you could feel sorry for those dependent on the government that are hurt by bad management that seems the norm rather than the exception in government.

The lesson is that private industry rewards success and punishes failure (not necessarily evenly), but the government nearly always rewards failure (by allocating more funds to fix the problem) and punishes success (project managers that don't use all of their allocated funds or finish their tasks within a fiscal year have their budgets for the next year reduced.)

[RightWhale]

If it's counterweighted they would need to give it a start and it would glide all the way up. Same thing coming down. If it's not counterweighted it has to lift all the way and rockets already do that.

[RadioAstronomer]

That wasn't very nice! Mir was a great piece of hardware that performed robustly, outlived its design life and produced plenty of data, especially on long term physiological effects from space. The ISS on the other hand...well, if I shared my true feelings on it we'd all learn some new words and I'd be banned.

Where did I cut down Mir? That was supposted to add a touch of humor to this thread. Obviously, that fell flatter than spacetime itself. Sigh.

I really did get in trouble (well talked too). It was in reference that we were just replacing the aging Mir with a "Mir-II" for the Russians. That was clear back in the late 80s. Well guess what. My prediction has come to pass. Go figure.

[anymouse]

And the truth is, getting out the the gravity well is expensive. And hard. And unless they find better ways than sitting on the top of a long controlled explosion, it's going to stay that way.

Well then, I suggest we get busy finding another way to get to space. Some are working on that problem. Are you with them or against them, satisfied to let the government waste your taxdollars putting people on the top of a long controlled explosion?

[RadioAstronomer]

What a shame we didn't buy it, or at least buy into it.

It was falling apart. It needed to go.