Re: NASA Issues new Safety Guidelines
From: Craig Fink (WeBeGood_at_GMail.Com)
Date: 03/24/05
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Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2005 15:19:46 GMT
On Wed, 23 Mar 2005 18:50:24 -0600, Jorge R. Frank wrote:
> Craig Fink <WeBeGood@GMail.Com> wrote in
> news:pan.2005.03.22.17.55.21.287779@GMail.Com:
>
>> Iwishi Hadabrain
>> Headquarters, Washington March 22, 2005 (Phone:
>> 123/456-7890)
>>
>> MEDIA ADVISORY: M03-119
>>
>> NASA CHANGES SAFETY GUIDELINE FOR VEIWING SHUTTLE LAUNCHES
>>
>> NASA spokeswoman Iwishi Hadabrain announced today that NASA has
>> complete a review of the Space Shuttle Launch Viewing Safety Guidelines
>> for the general public. In the announcement, new guidelines were
>> presented which NASA feels will insure the safety of all those wishing
>> to view the shuttle launch safely.
>
> OK, now that everyone has had a nice little laugh at NASA PAO's expense
> (they're an easy target, like shooting dead fish in an ice chest), time
> to spoil the party.
>
> The CAIB observed (O10.1-1 and O10.1-2) that "NASA should develop and
> implement a public risk acceptability policy for launch and re-entry of
> space vehicles and unmanned aircraft" and "NASA should develop and
> implement a plan to mitigate the risk that Shuttle flights pose to the
> general public."
>
> Last December, the USAF blasted NASA for taking "unacceptable risks by
> allowing too many people to flock to Kennedy Space Center viewing sites
> for up-close looks at shuttle launches."
>
> <http://www.floridatoday.com/!NEWSROOM/spacestoryN1205BLASTZONE0.htm>
>
> The new rules, in fact, merely bring NASA's KSC policies into line with
> what the USAF has always enforced for launches from CCAFS. Strange, I
> don't see Craig Fink - or anyone else, for that matter - writing
> satirical press releases about USAF public risk policies.
>
> OK, enough of the inconvenient facts. You may now resume your regularly
> scheduled mindless bashing.
NASA and the USAF are supposed to be two different entities. One is
supposed to be Civilian, the other Military. What is in the best interest
of the Military may not be in the best interests of a Civilian space
agency.
The Military, by it's very nature actually has an interest in limiting
access to the things it does. Really, even to try to keep them secret. It
makes sense for them to want to blindfold everyone on the east coast of
the Florida when they launch a classified satellite. Few, if any, Military
bases give tours to the general public on a daily basis, and with good
reason, their in the business of blowing thing up.
But, NASA a Civilian space program has interests that are really just the
opposite in many regards. No Bucks, no Buck Rogers. People want to see
Buck Rogers, not just read about him. They want for experience it. I can
think of no better way for the general public to experience it, than feel
the rumble of those engines vibrating their chest cavities. Instead, NASA
now what's to give them a speck with flame coming out of it, and a whisper
of a sound that doesn't reach them until the speck is below the horizon.
I'm sorry if it disturbers NASA that the general public wants to come away
with an experience rather than just an tiny tiny image of a Shuttle
Launch.
What about those "experience" seeking people who spend their own time and
own money to "attempt" to watch a shuttle launch. Are they getting their
money's worth? What do they think when the "privileged few", many of whom
are having their trips paid for, get a much better experience at the up
close and personal VIP viewing area? Which now will have even fewer seat
than ever, the "privileged" just got fewer. NASA should really be working
on how to treat all those who show up for a Shuttle Launch as a VIP, or at
least give them the same VIP experience.
Who are these "experience" seeking people? Aren't they the Trekkies, the
Space Buffs, not really the general public, but a subset that NASA could
describe as their best constituents? The ones that NASA should be courting
for their support. Future advocates for more Buck and for more Buck
Rogers? Just because the money is flowing well this year doesn't mean NASA
should ignore these people. Really, it kind of like NASA is shooting
themselves in the foot, not now but 10 or 20 years down the road.
The main target of this little piece of satire really wasn't the PAO, who
should be screaming advocates for giving the "experience" seeking public
more of what they want. It's just good publicity to have whole bunch of
people returning home telling everybody they see about their great
experience at the latest Shuttle Launch. The PAO was just a minor target
for not expressing what should be their own interests at all the meeting.
The real target is all the new Safety People who after having read the
CAIB's observations who couldn't figure out that NASA already had a safety
plan for the general public to view Shuttle Launches. And, very
restrictive revisions had already been made to the plan in the past. Who
didn't fight the urge or need to say, "Gee, we're all sitting here at this
meeting so we better do something to show the boss just how useful we
are."
Back to those experience seeking space enthusiasts. How could NASA give
them all the VIP treatment and launch experience they want? Is it
possible? I think so, just ask the military. While they have the lots of
experience at blowing things up, they also have lots of experience at
trying to not get blown up. Just the thing you need if you want to get up
close and personal with a Shuttle Launch. A fenced off field of cheap
bunkers starting at ten miles out extending to within three miles might
work. At seven miles out some guy is asking me to buy an activated
charcoal painter's mask. At six miles out he wants to rent me a real gas
mask. At five miles he's selling me a disposable hazmat suit, and at four,
a spot in a bunker just three miles from the pad ... that actually has a
door! Let the space enthusiast decide how much expense and risk they are
willing to take to get up close and personal with a Shuttle Launch. We now
return you to your regularly scheduled Disney program, "What NASA is
all about."
Personally, I've always wanted to sit on the beach and watch the Shuttle
take off, rotate and fly right over my head. But, as I've gotten older and
wiser, I've come to the realization that it might be better to anchor my
boat in sixty or seventy feet of water. That way if it were to actually
blow up during the 10 or 15 seconds that I'd be exposed to debris, I could
fall over the side of the boat with my scuba tank and have sixty feet of
water between me and the raining debris. I'm sure a lot of people might
find that crazy, but to each his own. BTW, loading yourself up at the tip
of a rocket (that goes double for one with solid rockets) is kind of
crazy, but I've always wanted to do that too.
New NASA spokeswoman Nowi Havabrain announced today that Dr. Michael Griffin
has an impressive set of credentials.
-- Craig Fink Courtesy E-Mail Welcome @ WeBeGood@GMail.Com
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