[Sometimes A River]

I'm no big fan of NASA but if they can find something better and cheaper, let them do it.

Gov't doesn't exist to "create jobs," contrary to what many Republicans think.

[andyk]

Gov't doesn't exist to "create jobs," contrary to what many Republicans think.

It certainly doesn't. But, I have a bad feeling about this. Of course they're not novices in space, but for us to rely on them for transportation to the ISS sounds like a bad idea. I'd no sooner want to rely on them for military aircraft. If we can't manufacture and provide our own spare parts, I get the willies. I'm sure it's a reasonable stopgap measure, but let's not take it too far.

[Dan Evans]

Gov't doesn't exist to "create jobs," contrary to what many Republicans think.

NASA was created to develop our aerospace technology not to develop Russia's aerospace technology.

[Regulator]

I'm no big fan of NASA but if they can find something better and cheaper, let them do it

Groovy. The Chinese built Long March launch vehicle can be substituted for all U.S. launch vehicles; it works OK, most of the time. They can now orbit people too. That works most of the time as well. What's a little wreck or two occasionally? The U.S. does it.

Hell, they can build and fly pretty much anything we can, given a couple of years to copy something. Why slow them down, for that matter? Just hand over the blueprints, let them do it all - military space, aeronautics, everything! It'll all be "cheaper".

And we can get bureaucrats and politicians real cheap from them while we're at it - why not government by the Chinese Communists? They're efficient, hard working, effective at what they do (they don't waste time with niceties like "Trial by Jury" and other silly Anglo-Saxon concepts). Everything for a guy like you to be happy about!

Don't Worry, Be Happy! Surrender to your new ChiCom Contract government! You'll be happy you did....

[Pessimist]

"I'm no big fan of NASA but if they can find something better and cheaper, let them do it. "

"If the ride is mo fly, then they must buy"

[ARCADIA]

Gov't doesn't exist to "create jobs," contrary to what many Republicans think.

I am sure that that is just a rumor started by the 75% of the population that depends on the public dole for their jobs. People like farmers, the military, police, homeland defense, civil contractors, any industry collecting Medicare/Medicaid/perscription drug benefits, Anyone working on a highway project, NASA, The military industrial complex, those dependent on Fannie Mae and FDIC, those dependent on publicly subsidized illegal labor... oh yeah, there are still a few craftsmen making products for ordinary people - but, we are about one hiccup short of a command economy.

[Gekko The Great]

I'm no big fan of NASA but if they can find something better and cheaper, let them do it.

Right. I'm with you. Cheaper is always better. If we can save a few pennies here and there to pinch in our decadent fingers, who gives a crap about being a technologically strong nation? Who cares about being even a strong nation? Hell, who even cares about being a nation, as long as I can keep more of my money for myself? Hey, we're alike, you and I. Money, money, money, the soul and center of everything...

[Moonman62]

I'm no big fan of NASA but if they can find something better and cheaper, let them do it.

NASA recently gave Burt Rutan $6 million to generate some paper on a new design for vehicles to service the ISS. Burt actually built a prototype and tested it for the same price.

Here's the website.

http://www.transformspace.com/