Deceptive Arm Waving By The Space Frontier Foundation
.@SpaceFrontier what a load of crap "Who else gives away $100K to NewSpace startups?" That was 100% NASA's money – not yours. #deceptive
— NASA Watch (@NASAWatch) January 9, 2014
Keith’s note: NASA gave the Space Frontier Foundation $100,000 with the specific intention that it be distributed to winners in their “NewSpace Business Plan Competition”. SFF was not “giving away $100K to NewSpace startups” This was never their money in the first place. In addition to NASA money, the SFF also administered smaller prizes donated by several aerospace companies. But they seem to want people to think that it was their money that was being given out and do not mention NASA and other sponsors while they brag about the money they “give away”.
There were problems with this recent business plan competition and it will be interesting to see how NASA picks the organization to conduct a similar function next time. Given that SFF had no competition when it was chosen by NASA in the past several years, one would hope that NASA puts this out for competition such that organizations with a track record in the business world have a chance to submit proposals to run future competitions offering NASA funds as prizes.
Keith, would you provide some context, here.
The Twitter trail is rather easy to follow.
The context seems to be that somebody posting to the “@spacefrontiers” twitter account wrote a post that Keith is responding to here.
There’s probably a tutorial somewhere on how to follow a “Twitter trail”, if you’re interested.
Here is your tutorial. Click on @SpaceFrontier , “view conversation”, etc.
Keith, no offense mate…but you are sounding a wee bit patronizing. I do not have a Twitter account, nor have I ever used Twitter. Per your instructions, I did click on the @spaceFrontier link. However, I do not see any prompt or icon for “view conversation”. I suspect that one has to have a Twitter account in order to follow a chain of communication.
Yes, I am sure it is a relatively simple process to register an account…and perhaps I will do that. However, I was hoping to be able to figure out what the heck you were writing about without having to set up a Twitter account.
Works for me. No Twitter account required.
Thanks guys. Lots of us haven’t jumped on the Twitter bandwagon yet. Hard to believe, I know… 🙂
Been a long time since I’ve posted on this website.
The Space Frontier Foundation is a lobbying organization. Spending NASA’s money is what they’re all about. More generally: redirecting government funding to companies they consider are working towards (or inadvertently contributing to) the opening of the space frontier to human settlement.
As long as I can remember, they’ve never been shy about saying so either.
It used to be about private enterprise opening space and not spending NASA’s money. That shifted after the dot com bust and the loss of a major benefactor.
Dennis, SFF is still about opening the space frontier. Sometimes when NASA is willing to help us promote NewSpace innovation, we partner with them and (yes) spend their money. But private companies also help sponsor our NewSpace Business Plan Competitions.
Um, this is a little more than “promoting”, Jim. NASA gave SFF the $100,000 in cash to give out for the business plan competition. It was not SFF’s money. Why the SFF is not totally open and transparent on this topic is troubling.
It will be interesting to see if NASA supports the SFF Business Plan competition plan in the future given that this one was marred with problems.
…..
Private companies, James? Do you mean the $30,000+ donation SFF received from ATK, thanks to that company’s Liberty program (formerly Ares I)? The same Ares I which SFF opposed before ATK became your primary (only?) non-governmental sponsor?
Is ATK “working toward opening the space frontier to human settlement” only when it writes large checks to SFF?
What about your past statements that government “shouldn’t pick winners and losers” but let the market decide? Was that another fakeout?
At one of their recent meetings the SFF attendees actually held a rowdy “wake” when Ares 1 was cancelled.
A. When someone with a fake name makes accusations about suspicious
motives they are meaningless and I will ignore them. If you stand by
your accusations and inferences have the bravery to put your pants on,
use your own name, or go away.
2. An enthusiastic tweet by a
volunteer who is excited about the good a project is doing does not
amount to suspicious behaviour. Yes, the wording should have been a
little more circumspect. Agreed. Just as you are now a wordsmith, it
takes a bit of time to get the nuances down.
B. Like the so called
(and listed in Wikipedia) Northrup Grumman Lunar Lander Challenge (whose
prizes were funded by NASA Centennial Challenges – not Grumman) The
agency and it support was perhaps a bit low profile…a relative
judgement.
D. If NASA chooses to work with a group like the
Foundation on a cause in which both believe – even as they disagree in
other areas – by working to help to get new space companies coaching,
launched and supported via such a competition, then it is a good thing,
so why trash it? There are other prizes out there right now and in
history that are far more deserving of your scrutiny.
3. The
companies and attendees and all involved know that the Prizes were
largely funded by NASA. Everyone’s motives were of the highest. Why drag
it all down?
c. The wake was awesome. I spoke at it. It was a few
years ago. We fought hard against Ares. We disagreed with others about
it. We won. Now SpaceX and OSC are servicing ISS and others are on their
way. We all still disagree on many issues and are finding common ground
on others. Get with the times my friend – they are a changing.
BTW
– The Foundation throws excellent and rowdy parties, organized by some
of the coolest and most brilliant under 30 something engineers and
students in the field. The next ones will be at ISDC and then NewSpace
2014. You are invited to attend. You will have fun.
That is not correct. The Foundation is a 501c3 educational organization. We aggressively and creatively engage in public debate. But SFF does not lobby.
I do. But I’m a private consultant, and not on SFF’s Board.
James, doesn’t the SFF have a lobbying project called “Keep the Promise,” which is run by Aaron “Ferris Valyn” Oesterle (who is also an assistant in the your office)?
As for your not being on the board, are you not one of the three SFF “founders” who are ex-officio board members for life, according to SFF by-laws? Did you not write that into the by-laws yourselves?
What has SFF done that makes you want to deny your leadership role?