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Posted on: Replace NASA With Us
at 11/08/2009 12:16pm

Here's a thought about the "X-Prize" aspect. I don't know Paul Allen. He probably is a really decent ... more(+)

Here's a thought about the "X-Prize" aspect. I don't know Paul Allen. He probably is a really decent person. But he just went out and bought the X-Prize for space. To prevent that from being the norm one would have to cap the expenditures on building a product. You might even throw in bonuses for people who win the contest at 25 percent, 50 percent, and 75 percent of the cost goal. It would also insure that the product or service was affordable once manufacturing starts. There should be rules about patents and or copywrites (I said I was no lawyer) as the product or service must be protectable and legally defense-able. If the country of origin won't claim originality then how could our corporation protect its profits. I know this sounds harsh but what good is a superconducting magnet in a medical imager with a price-point of $5K if the magnet costs $100k to build and instead of selling it you spend $Ms fighting lawsuits? Before you ask yourself about why I picked a medical imager remember that some space missions might take months or years and the participants would need medical care. Also remember that in an earlier post I suggested that while our goal is space if we can sell a few products or services that fall out of the space program that increases our share price and dividends. If it weren't for Apollo the IC might not have been developed. Without that no PCs or cell phones. Something to ponder...
Regards,
Bill close(-)

Posted on: POLL - Would You Want to Meet an Alien?
at 11/08/2009 10:19am

Hi Jim,
I'd tell anybody going to Vegas to take a side-trip to Area 51 for the cultural experience alone. However, ... more(+)

Hi Jim,
I'd tell anybody going to Vegas to take a side-trip to Area 51 for the cultural experience alone. However, don't mess with the guys in the black SUVs. They are authorized to shoot if they deem necessary. close(-)

Posted on: POLL - Would You Want to Meet an Alien?
at 11/08/2009 2:57am

Hi Jim,
I just wouldn't want to represent all of humanity. I'm sure I taste like everybody (chicken?), but I wouldn't ... more(+)

jim48 wrote:Just out of curiosity, brother Bill, how did you vote? And suppose the aliens look like spinach? I loved the premise for the Star Trek movie in which the aliens were far more interested in communicating with hump-backed whales than with us!

Bill Replied: "I voted in the second group. First, I don't consider myself a representative of humanity. Second, I'd rather eat lunch than be lunch. Third, I have a hard time believing that we will be visited by "aliens" due to the distances and energy requirements. Isaac Asimov did the math with an Apollo sized capsule some number of years ago and if Einstein is even close to being right visits will be pretty rare if ever. Sorry if I disappointed you, Jim."

Jim Replied: If you don't represent humanity who do you represent? Romulans? Asimov disappointed me on UFOs. Where was his dispassionate scientific curiousity? He just slammed the door. Dr. J. Allen Hynek was quick to point out that as there was a 20th century science there shall be a 25th century science and clearly that's what these aliens have. On the eve of Sputnik many scientists were still saying that spaceflight was impossible, let alone manned spaceflight.

Hi Jim,
I just wouldn't want to represent all of humanity. I'm sure I taste like everybody (chicken?), but I wouldn't want our Earth's citizens to be judged based upon me. I grew to adulthood through an atypical set of circumstances and am now getting old and am handicapped. Any alien might get the wrong impression of humanity by meeting me. I don't think that Asimov had no curiousity, he was just a methodical scientist. Based on the methodology of the day inter-stellar travel would have been an improbability. I have no data that would change those odds. Doesn't mean if my health changed I'd avoid your Area 51 trip, it just means my expectations might be lower. I know that scientists and engineers are always conservative (sound barrier, etc.), and unfortunately I am one of them. I believe that Earth has likely been visited several times over the 4.5BY history, I just think that the odds of it happening within my lifetime are lower than my wife and I winning the lottery. I do commend you for your open mindedness and willingness to put yourself out there for criticism. It is a trait I admire. Good luck with your trip and my best wishes on you beating the odds (meeting an alien, winning the lottery, or both). close(-)

Posted on: Replace NASA With Us
at 11/08/2009 1:20am

control. So if it makes you happy we will make you the commissar of names and you can call our privately owned space ... more(+)

HopDavid wrote:

Bill_Wright wrote:Now just for grins instead of using your wits to trash my ideas try using them to come up with better ideas, ideas that bring satisfaction to us for doing something and wealth to our grandkids. Further thoughts?

I happen to be a fan of NASA, their accomplishments are mind boggling. You seem to be among the folks who believe if we just got the stupid and bungling NASA out of the way, private business would colonize the solar system lickety split.

One of the reasons we're moving so slowly is that our goals are difficult.

When you say "I don't think my proposal would take 100 years to turn a profit. I don't think my proposal would be that hard to fund." you seem to be glibly stating that it's easy.

You don't think twice about attacking NASA but get all huffy when someone dares to criticize your views.

You are such a fan of NASA that you have failed to read my posts. The 2-year US government cycle is the main problem, as I have written repeatedly. I am a fan of President Jefferson. He felt a revolution every 20 years or so was a good idea. I am not a fan of violence and anarchy, and I have sworn an oath to defend the US Constitution, so I cannot advocate such a revolution against our country. I do think NASA is old enough to have acquired a lot of dead weight, and more than deserves a real make-over. That is why I advocate that the upper half (per annual reviews) be kept as employees with tenure, and the lower half kept as non-tenured contractors. If they don't raise their performance then they should be allowed to find jobs they can be successful in. As far as keeping NASA, if you are so blindly in love with the name then I suggest the government gives it to you. However, I believe that our space program can never satisfy us while it works for our short-cycle government. Apollo was special because JFK proposed it, became our martyred President, and nobody in our government had the guts to change it. That is a one-time event, probably one we will not see again for decades if ever. It also occurred in a relatively non-partisan period in our government that we will not see again, at least for quite a while. So get the space program out from under the control of our government. Keep it out from under the control of a few billionaires. Get it under our control. So if it makes you happy we will make you the commissar of names and you can call our privately owned space company NASA. But if you are happy waiting for the government to conquer space then be prepared to grow old and die a very unhappy person because it just ain't gonna' happen. BTW, you have never seen or read me being huffy. Certainly not in this thread. close(-)

Posted on: Replace NASA With Us
at 11/07/2009 11:30pm

Cool - some positive thinkers. In my opinion the first two steps are to identify an achievable goal with economic ... more(+)

Cool - some positive thinkers. In my opinion the first two steps are to identify an achievable goal with economic return possibilities then write a project plan using a tool that can produce GANTT and PERT charts as well as cost projections. You then hide the cost projections from the vendors and put out a Request For Proposal (RFP). Now I am accustomed to contract work which doesn't map perfectly to contests. But maybe the way you do it is to take your cost projections, cut them back a bit, and make that the prize. I have no experience though with contests. With contracts I always used the best bid that offered some quality methodology. I then put teeth in it for poor performance and a bonus for exceeding contractual goals. Remember, I am not volunteering to lead some space initiative. These are merely statements of how I have done things in the past because I do not have the years or health to see such a project through. Even if contests happen every year there must be a program owner that can see through to the end of a 20-30 year project. I can hear the scoffs now but I have brought in on time and budget some very complex multi-vendor projects while fighting unions and even cliques within my own company. Miracles do not happen, but good leaders can make it look like they do. I am positive that we could use an NEO to mine an asteroid and get material to Earth in less than 30 years. Furthermore, I am positive that profitable "stuff" would fall out of the project in far less time, certainly not the quarterly time frame that some investors demand, but certainly within a 2 to 3 year time-frame. I'd probably go for either magnet or superconductivity technology. Both would be essential for space travel and both have tremendous non-space potential for highly profitable projects. As much as I have enjoyed these take-off/hover/land contests I just don't see a product coming out of them in 2-3 years. Maybe I am just not imaginative enough so someone help show me the money in this kind of contest. close(-)

Commented on: Space Junk Buzzes Station as Astronauts Sleep
at 2009-11-08 10:11:54

well, bugsy, it sure ruined their night's sleep.
Bill

Commented on: New Type of Supernova Discovered
at 2009-11-07 18:18:37

Someone should buy Tony Piro a sixth crayon.
:-)
Bill

Commented on: Moon's Friends Say 'No' to Future Lunar Crashes
at 2009-11-07 18:14:12

WestHoustonGeo: please do not equate being environmentally responsible (green) with being a "commie". I consider ... more(+)

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Commented on: Moon's Friends Say 'No' to Future Lunar Crashes
at 2009-11-07 16:07:00

Why waste the nuclear weapons on the Moon? If we are going to break the "no nukes in space" treaty let's do so by ... more(+)

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Commented on: U.S. 'Decades Behind' on Space Debris Threat, Official Says
at 2009-11-07 01:05:05

Only an international agreement to prevent the spread of new debris will help. Every nut and bolt must be permanently ... more(+)

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