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Companies Skeptical of Commercial Space Market
Hugh Pickens writes "The NY Times reports that Boeing and Lockheed Martin will happily sell rockets to carry astronauts into space, but are leery about taking a leading role in President Obama's vision for a revamped NASA that relies on commercial companies to provide taxi transportation to the ISS. 'I don't think there is a business case for us,' says Lockheed Martin's John Karas about space taxis. Both Boeing and Lockheed were stung during the last burst of optimism for the commercial space business about a decade ago. They invested several billion dollars — Lockheed to develop its Atlas V, Boeing for the Delta IV — in the hopes that the huge market for commercial satellites would supplement their traditional business of launching American military spy satellites. The market did not materialize, and what business there was went to European and Russian rockets that were cheaper. The hoped-for commercial market for space taxis hinges on one small company, Bigelow Aerospace, which is developing inflatable space habitats that it hopes to market as research facilities to companies and foreign nations looking to establish a space program."
Don't mean to reply to myself but I wanted to add one thing. Ever wonder why Americans have a bad reputation throughout much of Europe and other parts of the world? That's easy. It's because they see the actions of our federal government and mistakenly believe that it represents us, that it is carrying out our wishes. No wonder we look so bad to so many of them.
It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. - Einstein
Skeptical of Commercial Space Market
Har. That's because there isn't one . All those dweeby weenies who think the contrary are little more than sci fi space-adventure magical-religious cultists. In more than a few ways not unlike Scientologists or Jehovah's Witnesses, I might add.
These stinking capitalist pig companies only care about one thing. Profit.
It is obvious what the Obama crowd should do. Seize control of them and make these old school
for profit companies work for the people. Any and all stock holders should be shot dead for not
having the peoples interest at heart.
THere is no room for rigorous capitalism in the New Era - Hope and Change- America under
Obama and his Marxist (progressive) sidekicks.
Okay, maybe I'm ahead of the curve but only a fool doesn't see where we are going.
Laugh away , fools.
Your next.
Oh, Cheers.
Your future is to bow to your Chinese Overlords.
Signed, unhappy Texan that said 'I told you so' over a fraking decade ago. But did you listen? nooooooooooo.
Vent off.
Something between the lines jumps out and bites your arm off. Soltan Gris / London
Why do they take so much flak? Because the Tea Party movement seems to have sprung almost directly from the "OMG WE MIGHT HAVE A TERRORIST NIGGER FOR PRESIDENT SOON I'M SO SCARED" gatherings, Obama's-head-on-Hitler's-body signs and all, that were in vogue among conservatives in the few months before the electing.
Because, alongside such admirable goals as smaller government, they also spew such mindless crap as "death panels" and "Global Warming isn't happening and is a Communist plot".
Because, despite claiming to stand for freedom, these were the same people who, for the last 8 years, practically begged the government to take away more of our freedoms to "fight terrorists", and campaigned in the interests of restoring an America they see as "a Christian nation".
They're a group of ignorant, insane hypocrites. That's why they take so much flak.