Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: IronJack
So can automobiles. Or any ballistic projectile.

Do you delude yourself that those things are unregulated? And do you think that it's possible for an exploding car, or an inert ballistic projectile, to do anywhere near the damage of an exploding or falling launch vehicle?

If you want to live in a fantasy world in which there should be zero government regulation of any form of transportation, fine, but out here in the real world, where it's going to continue to do so, the case for regulating launch systems is greater than that for any other form of transportation.

8 posted on 12/09/2004 8:37:49 AM PST by NonZeroSum
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies ]


To: NonZeroSum
the case for regulating launch systems is greater than that for any other form of transportation.

Oh yeah, it's a great way to stifle progress and creativity. I mean, gee, NASA is such an excellent government-run operation; they're tip-top. Thank God we now have government in space! Phew! I was worried there for a second that we might have inexpensive and readily available commercial space flight in the next 10 years. Well thank God that government got involved!

9 posted on 12/09/2004 8:42:47 AM PST by Publius Valerius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies ]

To: NonZeroSum
One of the first things Burt Rutan and the SpaceShip One team had to do was get permission from the government to conduct their tests. Robert Goddard didn't need permission. The Wright brothers didn't need permission. And Wernher von Braun sure didn't need permission to launch V2's.

But thanks to a bureaucracy unmatched in history, one of the few forward thinkers of modern aviation has to go to some desk pilot hat in hand and ask permission to push back the frontiers of ignorance.

I feel safer already. And by the way, your "real world" sucks.

12 posted on 12/09/2004 9:10:55 AM PST by IronJack (R)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson