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Ares Manager Steve Cook Resigns From NASA
FleaPlus writes "Steve Cook, project manager for the Ares I-X, Ares I, and Ares V rockets, announced that he will resign from NASA MSFC after 19 years at the agency, leaving for an executive position at Dynetics, Inc. This raises doubts about the future of the Ares program, which has been plagued with development problems and massive cost/schedule overruns since its inception. Steve Cook also oversaw the (since discredited) 2005 ESAS study which scrapped NASA's prior plans to adapt already-existing commercial rockets for human/beyond-LEO exploration in favor of internally developing the Ares rockets."
Why would the departure of Steve Cook raise doubts about the future of an entire program? If that is the case, then NASA really needs to work on hiring and/or training more Program Managers.
In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is usually crucified.
What's really interesting is that much Russian space technology hasn't changed from the 70s as a result of limited funding. As a result, they've pretty much got all the bugs out of their craft and it's very reliable. I think it's impressive that the American space hardware is just as reliable considering equally strenuous time constraints and stupid management in the US. Just imagine what could be accomplished if these space agencies were globally integrated, well-funded and properly managed. Spaceflight continues to be the crowning achievement of humanity; something we can all be proud of, no matter where we're from.
Scientists point out problems, engineers fix them
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If Steve Cook's track record is what it takes to get a cushy "executive position," where do I sign up? I can probably lead several failed engineering projects in a row, if I am willing to ignore ethics and I try hard enough.
-Todd
Omne ignotum pro magnifico.
Steve Cook has done more to damange the US space program than any foreign enemy government could hope for. Now that he's gone, maybe things can start to get back on track. He will /not/ be missed.
What's even funnier is how many people will deny it, no matter how much supporting evidence accumulates.
Spaceflight continues to be the crowning achievement of humanity
I agreed with everything you said up to this point. What about the elimination of smallpox? The Internet? Sanitation? Prenatal genetic testing? I won't argue that space flight has been a terrific triumph of engineering, but I'd hesitate to say it's the most important and impressive thing humans've ever done. Say it again when we have a permanent settlement on another planet and maybe I'll change my mind, but for now I'd rank it not quite at the top. Certainly very, very high on the list, tho'.
If Soyuz has a severe problem during landing, it ends up in another country.
If the Shuttle has a severe problem during landing, it blows up. There is literally no room for error.
Do you see where I'm going here? There were likely some gross oversights that led to the incident you linked to -- however, by virtue of the fact that Soyuz is both simple and mature, the craft is able to survive the statistical fluke of a faulty explosive bolt.
-- If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? - Uli's moose
So the guy leaves a couple of turds on the rug at NASA, then slinks out the back door to work for a private company. And people think corporations do a better job of running things than the government?
NASA probably didn't know any better when they hired him. What's Dynetics' excuse?
I've calculated my velocity with such exquisite precision that I have no idea where I am.
Neil Armstrong got to the moon first because the American German scientists were better than the Russian German scientists.
Confucius say, "Find worm in apple - bad. Find half a worm - worse."
You obviously have not thought this through, but what your argument IS the whole point of doing the private space systems.
Look, NASA does not need to build launch vehicles. It needs CHEAP WAYS to get cargo and other vehicles into space. By having MULTIPLE companies providing launch services, we will see a fast lowering of the costs. For example, SpaceX is about to lower the costs greatly compared to the shuttle, EELV, Russia, and even China. Yet, I think that they will have a contender in about 3 years from Scaled. Once SS3 is built, human cargo (the really expensive one) will go up for a fraction of the price of SpaceX. At that point, we will likely see other companies work to lower the costs further for cargo by either building a bigger version of SS3/WK2, or perhaps building a track launcher (circular track built in western USA that accelerates a system to say mach 5-10 or so and then throws it upwards).
Why will these companies do it? Will it be because of NASA Business? Nope. Neither NASA NOR DOD have enough business to warrent that. BUT, NASA, DOD, Other nations, Tourists, and hopefully offworld mining WOULD HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH. So, how do build up these businesses? Tourism is but one part. Bigelow WANTS to do multiple space stations for different nations. Yes, they will almost certainly do a hotel for tourism. If we are very lucky, they will need to put several up there. That would indicate that business is good and prices are dropping. But Bigelow, like Elon Musk, have spoke about wanting to put us on the moon and mars. They will also want to explore asteroids. If the gov encourages this NOW, then the west will lead this (otherwise, it is likely to be Chinese gov. that will lead this).
Now, what would happen to NASA? They would focus on space experiments, new robotics, new exploration sats that private industry is not like to do, new telescopes, and new advanced SPACE propulsion (not launch). Basically, by encouraging private enterprise to jump into space, it will lower the costs for NASA to do the advanced things that they need to do. In addition, it would create a whole new industry similar to what the net did. We would see lots of money being invested into new start-ups. The best thing that can happen is to have a number of companies jumping into new niches all over space. In fact, I am guessing that it will make the net look positively minor in size. Hopefully, this time, president and congress will push a balanced budget amendment.
I prefer the "u" in honour as it seems to be missing these days.
The Huntsville Times (of all places) gets the story half right and half sensationalistic speculation based on ignoring the rest of the facts, and in posting it here the summary turns to 25/75, prompting shadow tippers to pretend they know enough to continue the line of assumed criticisms and innuendos.
Cook has been on this project since it began, working his way up and filling bigger shoes capably, including those of his previous supervisor. Now he's leaving with the blessings of NASA to rejoin his previous supervisor, working for a contractor specializing in space craft test telemetry and analysis, including that of (The Rocket Boys' "Miss Riley"? no. My Shiny Metal Ass? no. Wait for it...) Ares.
Cook is not leaving the project, he's only leaving federal employment. That's not necessarily true, he may be tasked with other work, but figure the odds they'll waste his experience on something else as long as Ares is viable.
Now, my money says it's not viable and will get canceled and Cook will continue to make good money elsewhere, but at this point neither NASA nor Dynetics is betting that way, and that's how the story should have been written if it had been intended to be journalism. Had it been, it may have even been reported as such here. Of course that would never stop such dedicated and learned critics from toppling every perceived ivory tower with their Tonka Trucks of Truth as long as the facts can be safely kept outside the sandbox.
"I may be synthetic, but I'm not stupid." -- Bishop 341-B
Spaces, bitches. I'm talkin 'bout the United States of Space!