"Budget cuts could leave NASA without a Space Shuttle replacement, and leave it reliant on private firms to get payloads into space.
This is a GOOD thing, if NASA would allow private firms to develop a robust launch capability. Truthfully, launching has become a routine event (if you aren't using a 25+ year old monstrosity like the Shuttle), and NASA doesn't need to spend the time and money producing equipment that doesn't respond to real world conditions, but does suppress innovation by the private sector.
The real question is: Should NASA have launch capability at all? I suspect that it always will have some, but if we are ever to get off this Earth, it had better not be the primary means of doing so.
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To be fair, the lawyers should have to take their cut in coupons for Microsoft products, just like everyone else will.
"Budget cuts could leave NASA without a Space Shuttle replacement, and leave it reliant on private firms to get payloads into space.
This is a GOOD thing, if NASA would allow private firms to develop a robust launch capability. Truthfully, launching has become a routine event (if you aren't using a 25+ year old monstrosity like the Shuttle), and NASA doesn't need to spend the time and money producing equipment that doesn't respond to real world conditions, but does suppress innovation by the private sector.
The real question is: Should NASA have launch capability at all? I suspect that it always will have some, but if we are ever to get off this Earth, it had better not be the primary means of doing so.