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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?"

3 of 23 comments (clear)

  1. 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.

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    I can't say that I don't give a fuck. I've just run out of fuck to give.
  2. It's all about the $$$ by MacEnvy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Until we give NASA more money, they can't do a hell of a lot. They tried "faster, better, cheaper", and realized what NetAdmins have known all along - you can only have two out of three.

    Bottom line - give 1% of the current defense spending to NASA instead, and we'd have a hell of a space program.

    /rant

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  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?