The Failuof NASA: And A Way Out

--- In spacesettlers@yahoogroups.com, Al Globus wrote:
> Interesting article. My main objection is that placing ACCESS at
JSC
> will perpetuate the current culture, which is what the author
most
> wants to change. Better to put ACCESS in some truly new location.

I agree. It does seem odd to be downsizing NASA and creating yet
ANOTHER government agency at JSC. However, if yet another agency is
to be created, it is better to make it an agency like the FCC or
FAA, which do not run radio stations or airlines but instead
regulate them.

I had a quick look at the 1958 Space Act which created NASA; one
major reason for creation of the agency was section 102(c): "The
Congress declares that the general welfare of the United States
requires that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (as
established by title II of this Act) seek and encourage, to the
maximum extent possible, the fullest commercial use of space."
Perhaps through ACCESS that section would finally be fulfilled.

ed

>
> One point he did not make, is the Reagan pushed through the ISS
because
> he believed the fantasy that the shuttle was an operation system.
You
> can't fool mother nature and we have paid the price.
>
> On Friday, May 30, 2003, at 05:01 PM, Ed Minchau wrote:
>
> > The Failure of NASA: And A Way Out
> > by Philip K. Chapman
> >
> > I was in Mission Control when Neil Armstrong announced that the
Eagle
> > had landed. The applause was unexpectedly muted as we were all
> > overwhelmed by the significance of the moment. Nobody had any
doubt
> > that
> > Tranquility Base was the first step in an expansion into space
that
> > would drive human progress for centuries to come.
> >
> > We had of course all seen the 1968 Kubrick/Clarke movie 2001: A
Space
> > Odyssey, and the facilities depicted there seemed entirely
> > reasonable.
> > In our lifetimes, we expected to see hotels in orbit, translunar
> > shuttles operated by commercial airlines, and settlements on the
> > Moon.
> > Only the alien monolith was questionable.
> >
> > None of this has happened.
> >
> > For the rest of this article see:
> > http://www.spacedaily.com/news/oped-03zn1.html
> >
Important
> > Questions.
----
> > ~->
> >
-----
> ---------------------
> Space tourism could be our ticket to the stars. Save your
pennies,
> suborbital flights for $100,000 may start in 2005! See
> http://www.spaceadventures.com/suborbital for details.
>
> Al Globus
> CSC at NASA Ames Research Center
> http://www.nas.nasa.gov/~globus/home.html
>
> Views expressed in this email are only my opinions and are not
the