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NASA May Fly Before Changes Are Implemented

Posted by michael on from the wing-and-a-prayer dept.

kmak writes "According to CBS News, NASA might fly again early next year before changes are made to the management. The changes were requested due to the Columbia accident.. what will happen this time?"

4 of 23 comments (clear)

  1. Most likely by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Nothing... just as nothing happened in most previous flights.

  2. History by aridhol · · Score: 4, Insightful
    History has shown that, even with the current management, space flight is safe. It has a fairly low accident rate compared with other industries. However, when the do have an accident, it is large and spectacular; everybody sees it, so everybody wants change.

    That said, they have identified procedural problems that caused risks. Learn from your mistakes, and move on. You don't need a huge overhaul in management before you can listen to your engineers say "Hey, I think something's wrong here". You listen to your people, and act on their advice.

    --
    I can't say that I don't give a fuck. I've just run out of fuck to give.
    1. Re:History by Dark+Nexus · · Score: 2, Insightful

      What? Spaceflight isn't safe. NASA and it's astronauts KNOW it isn't safe. They SAY it isn't safe. 1/200 odds? I don't consider that safe. Worth the risk? Sure, they know what they're getting into. But it's NOT safe.

      And on a per-job basis, I doubt many industries have as many major accidents. And believe that they probably have a lot of accidents that you DON'T hear about, they're just minor accidents that are dealt with before they cause any serious issues. Do you hear about every time some warehouse employee drops a box on his foot? I doubt it.

      --
      Dark Nexus
      "Sanity is calming, but madness is more interesting."
  3. Shuttle: wrong tool for the wrong era by vudufixit · · Score: 3, Insightful

    The shuttle is far too expensive, complex and yes, dangerous. The "change" NASA needs to make would be to scrap the shuttle, and investigate a cheaper, safer and more reliable "people mover" for getting humans spaceborne, and a different, perhaps expendable vehicle for the automated lofting of space station components, satellites and deep space probes. A mission featuring one of each would diminish the chance of a single point of failure destroying both at once, as happens when a shuttle goes. We also have a golden opportunity to work with the Chinese on their burgeoning space program. Why not make them into partners instead of competitors?