| Has NASA, the monolithic space agency, failed | | | | bureaucracy. If safety issues arise from |
| in it's quest to put man out into the cosmos? | | | | qualified personnel within a bureaucracy, |
| Will profit coupled with man's need to | | | | these issues may not resonate to the proper |
| explore be the driving engine which sends man | | | | people within the organization. A case in |
| into the cosmos? Think about what has moved | | | | point, the knowledge of a strong potential |
| technology forward within the American | | | | for a O-ring failure at low temperatures |
| society over the past 100 years or so. Was | | | | between the segments for the solid rocket |
| Orville and Wilbur Wright employed by the | | | | boosters of the space shuttle, existed within |
| government. Of course not. Most of their | | | | the bureaucracy of NASA before the Space |
| research and development for the invention of | | | | Shuttle Challenger explosion. More |
| the airplane took place within a small bike | | | | specifically, this critical information in |
| shop in western Dayton, Ohio, the birth place | | | | terms of probability of O-ring compromise was |
| of aviation. Thomas Edison, who is accredited | | | | expressed by engineers at Morton Thiokol, the |
| with 1,093 patents earning him the nickname | | | | contractor for the development and production |
| "The Wizard of Menlo Park" used his own money | | | | of the solid rocket boosters. This |
| to build the Menlo Park research labs in New | | | | information never percolated upward from |
| Jersey. In 1889, Thomas Edison established | | | | Morton Thiokol to the proper people within |
| the Edison General Electric Company. Thomas | | | | the NASA organization.In private enterprise, |
| Edison is considered the most prolific | | | | which is non-bureaucratic by nature, a |
| inventor of our time and his inventions were | | | | relatively small group of people are working |
| created within the realm of private | | | | toward a common goal. In this situation, |
| enterprise.Did the seed for the invention of | | | | safety issues which arise will be known by |
| the personal computer germinate within a | | | | all members of the organization. Safety |
| government lab? The invention of the personal | | | | issues will not get lost in a bureaucracy. |
| computer came from an assortment of various | | | | NASA depends on it's contractors to deliver a |
| inventions and from the tinkering of Steve | | | | high level of safety. A private enterprise |
| Jobs and Steve Wozniak in Job's garage in an | | | | depends on itself to provide a high level of |
| area now called Silicon Valley, the southern | | | | safety. The structure of a private enterprise |
| part of the San Francisco Bay Area in | | | | is more suited to the endeavor of sending out |
| northern California. Their tinkering led to | | | | explorers into space. The government should |
| the development of Apple Computers. The story | | | | award grants to the most promising companies |
| of Bill Gates and the development of the | | | | with the understanding that the sending out |
| Microsoft family of operating systems took | | | | of explorers into space does indeed benefit |
| place within private enterprise. The Windows | | | | mankind.Americans are at their best when they |
| family of operating systems is the most | | | | compete. Competition is an integral component |
| widely used on earth and has been a major | | | | of American society. What was the driving |
| player in bringing information technology to | | | | force that put us on the moon. It was the |
| the developed world.Examples of major | | | | competition with the Russians. At the present |
| technological advancement within the realm of | | | | moment in time, this type of competition does |
| private enterprise are numerous. Most major | | | | not exist. Although, it appears as if China |
| technological advancements within society | | | | may be a future competitor. Americans need |
| have occurred outside the purview of | | | | to compete to accomplish something. It is |
| government intervention. Governments were | | | | competition which drives the advancement of |
| intended to govern the people. The | | | | technology. Why not let companies compete for |
| government's role is to preserve the | | | | government funding and let the research and |
| environment of freedom and democracy so that | | | | development occur within these companies, and |
| intellectual curiosity can flourish within | | | | most importantly let them compete. These |
| this environment. The government's role is | | | | companies can have the same characteristics |
| also to provide funding, and should not be in | | | | of any company that wants to produce a viable |
| the nuts and bolts operation of putting man | | | | product. They will not be under contract from |
| into space. The ingenuity of man within the | | | | NASA and will operate as a separate private |
| realm of private enterprise has resulted in | | | | enterprise entity. A company can make money |
| most of the technological advancements we | | | | from space tourism and the same company can |
| enjoy today.The cosmos will be explored by | | | | be involved in sending explorers out into |
| man operating from the base of private | | | | space. Government grants can be awarded based |
| enterprise and the technology needed to | | | | on how strong the potential exists for space |
| explore the cosmos will be developed within | | | | exploration. A company can be involved in |
| that enterprise. Why is this so? NASA is an | | | | space tourism, exploration, or can provide a |
| agency driven by fear of tragedy. More | | | | research and development platform. This is |
| mishaps will decrease the probability of | | | | the future of man's endeavor into space.Man |
| sufficient government funding. This cycle of | | | | will be exploring the cosmos with private |
| fear, mishaps, and the hope for continual | | | | enterprise being the driving engine. If one |
| funding is one that seems to have no end. But | | | | enterprise fails, one of the competing |
| mishaps are part of the business of putting | | | | enterprises will win out. Sure there will be |
| explorers into space. What can better | | | | some disasters and risks will be taken |
| withstand the expected mishaps. A government | | | | because that is the nature of the business. |
| agency or private enterprise. If a private | | | | But when unfortunate disasters or mishaps do |
| enterprise fails, it's competitor can step in | | | | occur, the private enterprise engine will not |
| to fill the gap and the engine of private | | | | grind to a complete halt. Burt Rutan and his |
| enterprise can continue to push man into | | | | Scaled Composites team have taken the first |
| space. NASA is not a private enterprise | | | | steps toward this archetypical dream of |
| competing within the world market place.NASA | | | | exploring the cosmos, and they did it with a |
| is not what it used to be during the Apollo | | | | fraction of the budget that NASA uses and |
| days. Given it's current mind set and | | | | with a team of 130 or so people to boot. They |
| culture, it will be difficult within this | | | | won the Ansari X-Prize by sending a man into |
| framework to send man out into the cosmos as | | | | space and returning him safely to earth and |
| true explorers. They have given the nuts and | | | | then they repeated this within two weeks. An |
| bolts of putting man into space to private | | | | absolutely unbelievable accomplishment given |
| contractors. But these NASA contractors have | | | | the facilities and resources which were |
| the same NASA mind set because they are under | | | | available to them. This could only occur |
| the dominion of NASA. There is a fear of | | | | within a society where freedom and democracy |
| mishaps within contractors without true | | | | are regarded as a right to all individuals. |
| competition within the market place. NASA | | | | The United States is such a society.Burt |
| awards contracts to the lowest bidder. Does | | | | Rutan has said that he has never worked a day |
| the lowest bidder provide the highest level | | | | in his life. He only plays. His passion for |
| of safety. Once a company is awarded a | | | | his work is what produces results. Burt Rutan |
| contract, they remain a NASA contractor for | | | | and his team represent the core of what makes |
| many years and simply become an extension of | | | | the United States the greatest country in the |
| NASA. Therefore NASA becomes a autocratic | | | | world. May be terrorist can get it through |
| agency with it's arms extending outward to | | | | their thick heads that freedom does work. |
| many companies. NASA's manned space flight | | | | Most importantly, Scaled Composites has shown |
| program can do no more then low earth orbit. | | | | the world what private enterprise can |
| Year after year of low earth orbit does not | | | | accomplish. Even if Scaled Composite's |
| excite the American people. Astronauts today | | | | endeavors never go beyond earth orbit, they |
| are no longer household names. An American | | | | have taken the first step within the proper |
| president here and there will give a speech | | | | mind set and culture, and this is what will |
| saying we are going to Mars. Even President | | | | put man into the cosmos. This mind set and |
| Bush's January 14, 2004 speech seems to have | | | | culture of pure unadulterated intellectual |
| already been forgotten by the American | | | | curiosity is what really will put man into |
| public.When we went to the moon this was the | | | | the cosmos. Not NASA's mind set of fear.NASA |
| start of an exploration. A goal was set on | | | | has played it's important role by lighting |
| May 25, 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, | | | | the torch in sending man to the moon. We are |
| during a speech before a Joint Session of | | | | now at a point in the history of mankind |
| Congress, to reach the moon before the end of | | | | where that torch should be passed to private |
| the decade. NASA kicked into high gear and | | | | enterprise. The developer of the Ansari |
| achieved one of the greatest accomplishments | | | | X-Prize I'm sure shares my thoughts. God has |
| in the history of mankind. We took the first | | | | placed the planets and all the stars within |
| step into space and then just stopped. Since | | | | the universe there for a reason. It is God's |
| then all of the manned space missions have | | | | intention for us to move outward into the |
| never gone beyond low earth orbit, and the | | | | final frontier. We do this to fulfill the |
| American public becomes bored easily. To gain | | | | natural curiosity that God has given to us |
| the American interest and support of the | | | | and in the process we better the lot of |
| Apollo days, we must send true explorers out | | | | mankind. Lets go...Copyright 2005 Thomas |
| into space. NASA wants to take such small, | | | | SullivanThomas Sullivan, the author of this |
| time consuming incremental steps that by the | | | | article is an IT Consultant/Search Engine |
| time comes when the really exciting work | | | | Optimizer, Pilot, and Space Enthusiast. He |
| begins, the American support and interest may | | | | currently manages two aviation related web |
| be eroded to the point where NASA may no | | | | sites. These are Pilot Portal USA - Pilot |
| longer have the financial means by which to | | | | Weather Briefing, Flight Schools USA, |
| accomplish such an endeavor. Hence, the need | | | | Aviation Directory and Weather for Pilots - |
| for private enterprise to accomplish such an | | | | Weather Briefing Checklist, Current/Forecast |
| endeavor. If we are going to go into the | | | | Weather Data. Address questions or comments |
| cosmos, then lets do it and stop the futile | | | | to Thomas Sullivan. You can find his email |
| activity.A private enterprise is not a | | | | address on his web sites. |