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Obama Names Bolden for NASA
tna ^ | 05.27.09 | Steve DuBord

Posted on 05/28/2009 4:59:36 PM PDT by Coleus

Obama's NASA selection is a boost for manned spaceflight” proclaimed the headline to the May 24 Los Angeles Times story. Apparently, “the choice of astronaut Charles Bolden as NASA administrator reassures many who feared that Obama was lukewarm on future manned missions,” and is being interpreted as supporting NASA’s goal of humans once again going to the moon by 2020.

“Clearly Charlie Bolden would not have taken the job if he were being asked to shut down human spaceflight," said John Logsdon, a space policy expert in Washington, according to the Times. If approved by the Senate to take the captain’s chair for NASA, Bolden would be the first African American, and the second astronaunt, to head the agency. Richard H. Truly, a retired Navy vice admiral and former shuttle commander, led the agency from 1989 to 1992.

Bolden’s Senate approval may be stalled by an Obama executive order that aims to eliminate conflicts of interest. As the Times put it, the new ethics rules prohibit appointees “from doing work that is ‘directly and substantially related’ to a former employer or former clients.” Bolden was on the board of directors for GenCorp Inc. until March 2008, and GenCorp’s Aerojet subsidiary is a contractor for the space shuttle and the Orion spacecraft programs, producing propulsion systems and maneuvering engines. Some form of “limited waiver” would probably be required for Bolden to bypass these regulations.

Whether or not Bolden deserves to circumvent these rules, or if the rules actually serve any purpose at all if a waiver to bypass them can easily be obtained, remains to be seen. But one thing that must be kept in sight is the fact that NASA isn’t the only game in town for manned space exploration.

The website RedOrbit.com dealt with “NASA’s Free-Market Solution” on May 12. “NASA Administrator Chris Scolese told a congressional subcommittee … that the agency intends to provide $150 million in stimulus-package money to private companies that design, build and service their own rockets and crew capsules. This is spacecraft that could send astronauts in orbit while NASA works to finish building the space shuttle’s replacements.” In fact, “the White House ordered a complete review of the entire manned space program to be led by long time friend of private space ventures, former Lockheed Martin CEO of Norman Augustine.” While it may be argued that if big government didn’t take so much tax money from businesses and individuals in the first place, there would be no need for government to dole out “stimulus money,” RedOrbit.com nonetheless interprets NASA’s generosity as evidence that “the space agency … and the Obama administration are both ready to promote and make possible commercial human space flight.”

NASA will be awarding $80 million in stimulus money to the private company with the best “crewed launch demo.” Top contenders are space-flight companies SpaceX and Orbital Sciences. “These leading contractors are building their launch vehicles from scratch. Their designs highlight incredibly efficient business models with low manufacturing costs.” They somehow need “only a few dozen employees at their launch sites” rather than “the space shuttle program’s 15,000 workers.” Former NASA administrator Michael Griffin believes that “when we engage the engine of competition, these services will be provided in a more cost-effective fashion than when the government has to do it.”

This is not without precedent. RedOrbit recalls that “in October 2004, engineer Burt Rutan's SpaceShipOne won the $10 million Ansari X Prize. His rocket was the first privately built flying machine to ever reach space.” William Watson, the executive director of the Space Frontier Foundation — a group promoting commercial space activities — sees similar exciting opportunities: “Let's have an American competition in space — to create good jobs, fuel innovation and close the [spaceflight] gap more quickly.” He adds: "With private funds matching government investment, we can dramatically leverage taxpayer dollars to produce breakthroughs in a new American industry — commercial orbital human spaceflight.”

But how about private funds without government investment? If exploring the vast frontier of space is worth doing, why wouldn't entrepreneurs invest in it? That’s the kind of boldly going where no one has gone before which any supporter of free enterprise would like to see live long and prosper. Only a Star Trek fan may understand all the references in that last sentence, but anyone who supports the free market will likely wish to see the American spirit of private innovation do its part to help conquer the final frontier.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government
KEYWORDS: bho44; bhonasa; bhospace; bolden; nasa; privatize
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To: the invisib1e hand
He's got the nom because of his personal narrative...which includes the fact that he's black. Everything postmadern is about the "story"--and let's not mention the lobbying thing.

I would prefer an administrator with and engineering background and experience in aerospace development. But I doubt seriously that NASA will do a thing worthwhile in the next decade except the robotics exploration and communications tie-ins. Manned spaceflight since the moon landings is almost a complete joke.

21 posted on 05/28/2009 5:37:24 PM PDT by Mamzelle (BRING CAMERA EQUIP TO TEA PARTIES--TAPE THE DISRUPTORS)
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To: the invisib1e hand
Well, am I?

Well you seem to have bypassed the multiple Shuttle missions, the career as a Marine, and years spent with NASA and gone straight to his race. So who would you have appointed if not General Bond and why?

22 posted on 05/28/2009 5:38:23 PM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: the invisib1e hand
Understand you point... Bolden is one of those guys you don't think about being “a person of color” when he comes to mind if you know what I mean...
23 posted on 05/28/2009 5:39:09 PM PDT by RedEyeJack
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To: King Moonracer
He's working on swine flu stuff right now...


24 posted on 05/28/2009 5:40:29 PM PDT by paulycy (BEWARE the LIBERAL/MEDIA Complex)
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To: the invisib1e hand
I think anyone smart enough to be an astronaut is pretty much smart enough to do almost anything.

They make pretty sucky stalkers.

25 posted on 05/28/2009 5:45:21 PM PDT by avg_freeper (Gunga galunga. Gunga, gunga galunga)
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To: King Moonracer

Looter Guy for Beer Czar!


26 posted on 05/28/2009 5:55:27 PM PDT by ApplegateRanch (The mob got President Barabbas; America got shafted)
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To: Non-Sequitur
Well you seem to have bypassed the multiple Shuttle missions, the career as a Marine, and years spent with NASA and gone straight to his race. So who would you have appointed if not General Bond and why?

I think there's a latin word for what you're doing to my remarks but I admit don't know what it is.

27 posted on 05/28/2009 5:56:45 PM PDT by the invisib1e hand (the machines will break.)
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To: eclecticEel
The cult of the astronaut
28 posted on 05/28/2009 6:15:37 PM PDT by Mamzelle (BRING CAMERA EQUIP TO TEA PARTIES--TAPE THE DISRUPTORS)
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To: Mamzelle; All

I suppose you are happy about this...


29 posted on 05/28/2009 6:37:34 PM PDT by KevinDavis (http://governorpalin4president.blogspot.com/)
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To: Movemout; markman46; AntiKev; wastedyears; ALOHA RONNIE; RightWhale; anymouse; Brett66; ...
We shall see...


30 posted on 05/28/2009 6:38:45 PM PDT by KevinDavis (http://governorpalin4president.blogspot.com/)
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To: KevinDavis
Check out the article I posted. It makes the case that you have to sent up a lot of robots before you can manage manned space travel.

As far as Bolden? Well, he is every bit as smart and competent to run NASA as any former astronaut.

31 posted on 05/28/2009 6:43:43 PM PDT by Mamzelle (BRING CAMERA EQUIP TO TEA PARTIES--TAPE THE DISRUPTORS)
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To: Mamzelle; Al

Sorry all robots do is take pretty pictures...


32 posted on 05/28/2009 6:47:41 PM PDT by KevinDavis (http://governorpalin4president.blogspot.com/)
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To: KevinDavis

True. But when a robot’s bones dissolve, nobody cares.


33 posted on 05/28/2009 6:50:01 PM PDT by Mamzelle (BRING CAMERA EQUIP TO TEA PARTIES--TAPE THE DISRUPTORS)
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To: KevinDavis; AdmSmith; Berosus; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; Ernest_at_the_Beach; Fred Nerks; ...
Bolden's Senate approval may be stalled by an Obama executive order that aims to eliminate conflicts of interest. As the Times put it, the new ethics rules prohibit appointees "from doing work that is 'directly and substantially related' to a former employer or former clients." Bolden was on the board of directors for GenCorp Inc. until March 2008, and GenCorp's Aerojet subsidiary is a contractor for the space shuttle and the Orion spacecraft programs, producing propulsion systems and maneuvering engines. Some form of "limited waiver" would probably be required for Bolden to bypass these regulations.

34 posted on 05/28/2009 7:27:31 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/____________________ Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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Charles F. Bolden, Jr. (Brig. General, USMC)

Charles F. Bolden, Jr. (Brig. General, USMC)

35 posted on 05/28/2009 7:30:07 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/____________________ Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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To: RedEyeJack

Ditto that. He may have some resume enhancers as far as Obama is concerned, but Bolden is actually a very strong pick. It is a scary feeling to actually be pleased with one of the Pres_ent’s moves...


36 posted on 05/28/2009 7:31:29 PM PDT by Frank_Discussion (May the wings of Liberty never lose a feather!)
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this one's a bit of a crank, but it's worth a look:
Single Launch Vehicle NOW by Gaetano Marano
the Direct 2.0 website:
Direct Launcher
Direct Launcher video:
YouTube
Wired coverage:
NASA Takes On Its Detractors, Releases Analysis of 'DIRECT' Proposal
Rob Coppinger's take on DL:
Hyperbola 'blog
and regarding Constellation:
Sixty-day review of Constellation, answers by August
and regarding SpaceShip Two:
SpaceShip Two rocket firing "success" says Virgin Galactic

37 posted on 05/28/2009 8:35:01 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/____________________ Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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To: SunkenCiv

But will he do anything about James Hansen, the environmentalist wacko in NASA I’ve been hearing about lately?


38 posted on 05/29/2009 2:44:10 AM PDT by Berosus (Let's get the truth, waterboard Nancy Pelosi.)
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To: johniegrad; the invisib1e hand
So let me get this straight....if Nagin says Chocolate City it is not racist

but if someone here says Chocoltate Space Program it is.


39 posted on 05/29/2009 4:07:31 AM PDT by Vaquero ("an armed society is a polite society" Robert A. Heinlein)
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To: Berosus

Yes, he’ll probably promote him.

NASA’s Hansen to Obama: Use Global Warming to Redistribute Wealth
NewsBusters | January 1, 2009 | Noel Sheppard
Posted on 01/01/2009 11:15:42 AM PST by St. Louis Conservative
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2157266/posts


40 posted on 05/29/2009 5:39:46 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/____________________ Profile updated Monday, January 12, 2009)
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