Re: SpaceX vs. Japan

On Mar 22, 12:41 am, spacecr...@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
If the Democrats win the White House this year, I think they'll end up
pushing Falcon9/Dragon instead of Ares 1/Orion.  This would accomplish
the following 3 goals:

1)  The budget for manned spaceflight could be drastically cut, while
maintaining a minimal capability to meet international commitments
regarding the ISS.

2)  Project Constellation could be killed in the crib by permanently
eliminating the industrial base that would produce it.

3)  If launches take place from Wallops Island, NASA's largess would
shift to Greenbelt, MD, Langley, VA, and Wallops Island, VA (Blue and
Purple states) from Houston, TX, Huntsville, AL, and Cape Canaveral,
FL (Red states).

Wow, someone that admits that there are state colors WRT NASA. That is
a first! I hadn't heard the "purple" reference though. I'll have to
digest that one.


I also think that if President Bush wants to be remembered for
something besides the Iraq War, he'll do what's necessary to ensure
that Project Constellation isn't easy to kill.  

Do you think he REALLY cares? The Bush legacy as being memorable for
being pro-space? Like anything happened. Please...

One step in that
direction would be to offer an agreement to Japan for whatever
assistance they might need in order to get their own manned spacecraft
off the ground.

Do you think Bush and the GOP in general give a rat's ass about
international relationships in space? ISS became international during
Clinton's time after Reagan's failled attempt at the mostly American
"Freedom" space station.

Freedom was about as international as Bush's war in Iraq is.

.