Comments on: Congress micromanages rocket development at ULA

By: Edward

Edward — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 23:34:45 +0000

Des,
Unfortunately, some members of Congress consider themselves to be, literally, rocket engineers. They chose design specifications for the SLS rather than let the NASA customer or the rocket designers choose them. These include the fuel to be used for SLS’s first stage as well as the payload capabilities.

Now these delusional “rocket scientists” want to choose which rocket engine our national security will depend upon.

The worst part is that this is yet another example of Congress choosing central control over free market choices. Rather than ULA choosing the engine that is best for its own customers, members of Congress are demanding to choose what is best for themselves.

Thus, Orion314 is correct. They are not working for us but for themselves, and selling out our national security for their own job security is an easy concept for their unethical minds to ponder.

When we have central control, the decisions are not made for the benefit of the local user but for the benefit of the controller, thus we get what the central control committee wants, not what we want.

If Congress gets control over the decision for the engine, then it is yet another setback for the fledgling, free market, commercial space industry and another breath of life for the overbearing, slow, non-productive, expensive government-controlled space industry. It will show that Congress will micromanage ULA right out of business, just as they are on the verge of entering the NewSpace commercial market with an innovative great vision for a prosperous future.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxftPmpt7aA (7 minutes, “ULA CisLunar 1000) (Yet another video that I link too often)

By: Orion314

Orion314 — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 20:45:17 +0000

WE ALL , must lose this idea that the federal government works for us, or that they respect the USC, or the rule of law. The federal gummint is nothing short of an organized crime ring. As an honorably discharged USAF vet with a TS clearance , I say this with a great deal of sad consideration. I fear our own USG far more than any terrorist , ISIS , or any other bogeyman you can name.
if HRC isn’t a fine example of my point, I don’t know what else is…

By: wayne

wayne — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 16:39:06 +0000

Mike Rogers has a Conservative Review Liberty Score of 54%, and Mac Thornberry is at 48%.

By: Des

Des — Fri, 10 Mar 2017 16:37:46 +0000

I agree that Congress trying to pick the rocket to use in Vulcan is a very bad idea. ULA should be allowed to pick the rocket that gives them the best performance at the best price. It is not a completely private rocket though. The air force has committed up to $201 million funding for Vulcan (http://spacenews.com/ulas-parent-companies-still-support-vulcan-with-caution/) and it is likely ULA will look for more.