Reality Check for Space Campers
Modernized Space Camp Allows Kids To Simulate Frustration Over Lack Of Funding, The Onion
“Aiming to provide attendees with an authentic glimpse into the nation’s space program, representatives for the U.S. Space & Rocket Center announced Thursday that its newly updated Space Camp will allow children to simulate the anger and mounting frustration experienced by NASA personnel over a continual lack of funding.”
Once again, comedy cuts to the core of an issue. Well done, Onion, well done.
WOW. that is a really good article. biting satire the way it’s meant to be!
I notice they also call out bureaucratic red tape and endless procedural delays, though they don’t go into detail about that part of the authentic camp experience. Maybe they’re saving that for the follow-up story…
That is so wrong! Space camp should be a nurturing environment where core values are affirmed and everyone goes home happy.
HTML5 desperately needs a <satire> tag.
Character-building, that’s what it would be. And the Onion sure has a bunch of characters writing for them.
So true it hurts! They should have added that the kids’ lunches will be withheld so they can experience the pain of a sudden loss in income!
Glad it’s not serious. After all, someone remind me how much NASA has spent on Orion.
Cheers
Read this – part of me wanted to laugh – part of me got angry. Its great satire, but like any satire, its based on reality, and that’s the sad part. I do think that the younger generation should be told the truth about how bad things are with the US space program, and the realistic likeilhood that the US will continue to fall further and further behind other nations (at least in terms of governmental programs) in Space in coming years. Ignorant, penny-pinching politicians, a lack of interest or leadership from the highest levels, and a complete absence of vision, or a viable strategy to achieve goals is destroying the US space leadership on a daily basis. I personally feel that the only hope for the future is a) the commercial sector picking up the challenge when NASA drops the ball; and b) an intense and dangerous major-power competition between the US, and a Russia-China alliance, that promotes a second space-race.
It’s not just the space program. Look around at our crumbling infrastructure, and at the craziness making inroads into our school systems. Sad times indeed.
I…
You know, this would actually be fun. Twisted, twisted fun.
We have mock congress and mock trial for summer camp as a part of civic program. Why not have a mock NASA? Following the same format, divide the students into two sides, one side for and the other abolish, they choose the roles, someone be the moderator for public opinions and such…
Oh and the for side gets less than half a penny as their allowance.
That just cuts WAY too close to home.
We could augment the experience by having a contractor community group that constantly tries to bid for jobs that NASA wants to keep in house or want the contractors to do for so little money that the contractors have to ‘no-bid’ the job because they would lose money on the project as their upper level management levied a 20% increase in the cost over actually doing the job because it was deemed too ‘risky’.
Yep, the voice of experience…