| Has NASA, the monolithic space agency, failed in it's | | | | a bureaucracy. If safety issues arise from qualified |
| quest to put man out into the cosmos? Will profit | | | | personnel within a bureaucracy, these issues may not |
| coupled with man's need to explore be the driving | | | | resonate to the proper people within the organization. |
| engine which sends man into the cosmos? Think | | | | A case in point, the knowledge of a strong potential |
| about what has moved technology forward within | | | | for a O-ring failure at low temperatures between the |
| the American society over the past 100 years or so. | | | | segments for the solid rocket boosters of the space |
| Was Orville and Wilbur Wright employed by the | | | | shuttle, existed within the bureaucracy of NASA |
| government. Of course not. Most of their research | | | | before the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion. More |
| and development for the invention of the airplane | | | | specifically, this critical information in terms of |
| took place within a small bike shop in western | | | | probability of O-ring compromise was expressed by |
| Dayton, Ohio, the birth place of aviation. Thomas | | | | engineers at Morton Thiokol, the contractor for the |
| Edison, who is accredited with 1,093 patents earning | | | | development and production of the solid rocket |
| him the nickname "The Wizard of Menlo Park" used | | | | boosters. This information never percolated upward |
| his own money to build the Menlo Park research labs | | | | from Morton Thiokol to the proper people within the |
| in New Jersey. In 1889, Thomas Edison established | | | | NASA organization.In private enterprise, which is |
| the Edison General Electric Company. Thomas Edison | | | | non-bureaucratic by nature, a relatively small group of |
| is considered the most prolific inventor of our time | | | | people are working toward a common goal. In this |
| and his inventions were created within the realm of | | | | situation, safety issues which arise will be known by |
| private enterprise.Did the seed for the invention of | | | | all members of the organization. Safety issues will not |
| the personal computer germinate within a | | | | get lost in a bureaucracy. NASA depends on it's |
| government lab? The invention of the personal | | | | contractors to deliver a high level of safety. A |
| computer came from an assortment of various | | | | private enterprise depends on itself to provide a high |
| inventions and from the tinkering of Steve Jobs and | | | | level of safety. The structure of a private enterprise |
| Steve Wozniak in Job's garage in an area now called | | | | is more suited to the endeavor of sending out |
| Silicon Valley, the southern part of the San Francisco | | | | explorers into space. The government should award |
| Bay Area in northern California. Their tinkering led to | | | | grants to the most promising companies with the |
| the development of Apple Computers. The story of | | | | understanding that the sending out of explorers into |
| Bill Gates and the development of the Microsoft | | | | space does indeed benefit mankind.Americans are at |
| family of operating systems took place within private | | | | their best when they compete. Competition is an |
| enterprise. The Windows family of operating systems | | | | integral component of American society. What was |
| is the most widely used on earth and has been a | | | | the driving force that put us on the moon. It was the |
| major player in bringing information technology to the | | | | competition with the Russians. At the present |
| developed world.Examples of major technological | | | | moment in time, this type of competition does not |
| advancement within the realm of private enterprise | | | | exist. Although, it appears as if China may be a |
| are numerous. Most major technological | | | | future competitor. Americans need to compete to |
| advancements within society have occurred outside | | | | accomplish something. It is competition which drives |
| the purview of government intervention. | | | | the advancement of technology. Why not let |
| Governments were intended to govern the people. | | | | companies compete for government funding and let |
| The government's role is to preserve the | | | | the research and development occur within these |
| environment of freedom and democracy so that | | | | companies, and most importantly let them compete. |
| intellectual curiosity can flourish within this | | | | These companies can have the same characteristics |
| environment. The government's role is also to provide | | | | of any company that wants to produce a viable |
| funding, and should not be in the nuts and bolts | | | | product. They will not be under contract from NASA |
| operation of putting man into space. The ingenuity of | | | | and will operate as a separate private enterprise |
| man within the realm of private enterprise has | | | | entity. A company can make money from space |
| resulted in most of the technological advancements | | | | tourism and the same company can be involved in |
| we enjoy today.The cosmos will be explored by man | | | | sending explorers out into space. Government grants |
| operating from the base of private enterprise and | | | | can be awarded based on how strong the potential |
| the technology needed to explore the cosmos will be | | | | exists for space exploration. A company can be |
| developed within that enterprise. Why is this so? | | | | involved in space tourism, exploration, or can provide |
| NASA is an agency driven by fear of tragedy. More | | | | a research and development platform. This is the |
| mishaps will decrease the probability of sufficient | | | | future of man's endeavor into space.Man will be |
| government funding. This cycle of fear, mishaps, and | | | | exploring the cosmos with private enterprise being |
| the hope for continual funding is one that seems to | | | | the driving engine. If one enterprise fails, one of the |
| have no end. But mishaps are part of the business of | | | | competing enterprises will win out. Sure there will be |
| putting explorers into space. What can better | | | | some disasters and risks will be taken because that is |
| withstand the expected mishaps. A government | | | | the nature of the business. But when unfortunate |
| agency or private enterprise. If a private enterprise | | | | disasters or mishaps do occur, the private enterprise |
| fails, it's competitor can step in to fill the gap and the | | | | engine will not grind to a complete halt. Burt Rutan |
| engine of private enterprise can continue to push | | | | and his Scaled Composites team have taken the first |
| man into space. NASA is not a private enterprise | | | | steps toward this archetypical dream of exploring the |
| competing within the world market place.NASA is not | | | | cosmos, and they did it with a fraction of the budget |
| what it used to be during the Apollo days. Given it's | | | | that NASA uses and with a team of 130 or so people |
| current mind set and culture, it will be difficult within | | | | to boot. They won the Ansari X-Prize by sending a |
| this framework to send man out into the cosmos as | | | | man into space and returning him safely to earth and |
| true explorers. They have given the nuts and bolts | | | | then they repeated this within two weeks. An |
| of putting man into space to private contractors. But | | | | absolutely unbelievable accomplishment given the |
| these NASA contractors have the same NASA mind | | | | facilities and resources which were available to them. |
| set because they are under the dominion of NASA. | | | | This could only occur within a society where freedom |
| There is a fear of mishaps within contractors without | | | | and democracy are regarded as a right to all |
| true competition within the market place. NASA | | | | individuals. The United States is such a society.Burt |
| awards contracts to the lowest bidder. Does the | | | | Rutan has said that he has never worked a day in his |
| lowest bidder provide the highest level of safety. | | | | life. He only plays. His passion for his work is what |
| Once a company is awarded a contract, they remain | | | | produces results. Burt Rutan and his team represent |
| a NASA contractor for many years and simply | | | | the core of what makes the United States the |
| become an extension of NASA. Therefore NASA | | | | greatest country in the world. May be terrorist can |
| becomes a autocratic agency with it's arms | | | | get it through their thick heads that freedom does |
| extending outward to many companies. NASA's | | | | work. Most importantly, Scaled Composites has |
| manned space flight program can do no more then | | | | shown the world what private enterprise can |
| low earth orbit. Year after year of low earth orbit | | | | accomplish. Even if Scaled Composite's endeavors |
| does not excite the American people. Astronauts | | | | never go beyond earth orbit, they have taken the |
| today are no longer household names. An American | | | | first step within the proper mind set and culture, and |
| president here and there will give a speech saying we | | | | this is what will put man into the cosmos. This mind |
| are going to Mars. Even President Bush's January 14, | | | | set and culture of pure unadulterated intellectual |
| 2004 speech seems to have already been forgotten | | | | curiosity is what really will put man into the cosmos. |
| by the American public.When we went to the moon | | | | Not NASA's mind set of fear.NASA has played it's |
| this was the start of an exploration. A goal was set | | | | important role by lighting the torch in sending man to |
| on May 25, 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, during | | | | the moon. We are now at a point in the history of |
| a speech before a Joint Session of Congress, to | | | | mankind where that torch should be passed to |
| reach the moon before the end of the decade. | | | | private enterprise. The developer of the Ansari |
| NASA kicked into high gear and achieved one of the | | | | X-Prize I'm sure shares my thoughts. God has placed |
| greatest accomplishments in the history of mankind. | | | | the planets and all the stars within the universe there |
| We took the first step into space and then just | | | | for a reason. It is God's intention for us to move |
| stopped. Since then all of the manned space missions | | | | outward into the final frontier. We do this to fulfill the |
| have never gone beyond low earth orbit, and the | | | | natural curiosity that God has given to us and in the |
| American public becomes bored easily. To gain the | | | | process we better the lot of mankind. Lets |
| American interest and support of the Apollo days, | | | | go...Copyright 2005 Thomas SullivanThomas Sullivan, |
| we must send true explorers out into space. NASA | | | | the author of this article is an IT Consultant/Search |
| wants to take such small, time consuming incremental | | | | Engine Optimizer, Pilot, and Space Enthusiast. He |
| steps that by the time comes when the really | | | | currently manages two aviation related web sites. |
| exciting work begins, the American support and | | | | These are Pilot Portal USA - Pilot Weather Briefing, |
| interest may be eroded to the point where NASA | | | | Flight Schools USA, Aviation Directory and Weather |
| may no longer have the financial means by which to | | | | for Pilots - Weather Briefing Checklist, Current |
| accomplish such an endeavor. Hence, the need for | | | | Forecast Weather Data. Address questions or |
| private enterprise to accomplish such an endeavor. If | | | | comments to Thomas Sullivan. You can find his email |
| we are going to go into the cosmos, then lets do it | | | | address on his web sites. |
| and stop the futile activity.A private enterprise is not | | | | |