Important Golf in Space Announcement from CASIS (Update)
Keith’s update: Apparently the big news is that the COBRA golf company is putting a window (“spaceport”) in their new golf club. No relevance to NASA or the ISS is apparent. When asked by a reporter to explain the microgravity applications to this technology CASIS President Greg Johnson said he could not explain the microgravity or technology aspects of this thing. The Cobra representative said that he needed a golf club design that could withstand a 7,000 G impact and that the technology associated with this golf club was different than launching something into space (i.e what the ISS is there for). He added that this golf club “did not use research done in space but did use research done for space”. Greg Johnson said that there is some other stuff going on in space but he cannot talk about it. What any of this has to do with CASIS, the International Space Station, or NASA is not at all apparent. Then again little of what CASIS does these days has that relevance. In fact there is no relevance. All Greg Johnson could suggest is that these new golf clubs will “inspire the next generation of scientists, golfers, engineers and explorers. Its a great story”.
This whole CASIS thing is a joke. A bad joke.
– Space Golf Update: NASA Inspector General Has Noticed That CASIS is a Flop
– CASIS Announces Baseball Raffle in Space, earlier post
– CASIS Would Rather Go Golfing Than Do Actual ISS Research, earlier post
– CASIS Signs Deal with COBRA PUMA GOLF for Research on ISS, earlier post
– CASIS Defines Bedtime Stories on ISS as “Major Payload”, earlier post
– CASIS Is Still Incapable of Doing Its Job, earlier post
– CASIS Is Doing a Reality TV Show in Space (Confusing Update), earlier post
earlier posts
Joint Announcement Between CASIS and COBRA PUMA Golf (with webcast link)
“Join leaders from COBRA PUMA Golf USA (CPG) and the Center for the Advancement of Science In Space (CASIS) on Tuesday August 18, 2015 at 1:00 pm EDT for a press announcement at the PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Expected speakers include CASIS President & Executive Director Gregory H. Johnson, CPG President & CEO Bob Philion, CPG Director of Research & Development Mike Yagley and a special appearance from PGA Tour player and CPG Brand Ambassador Rickie Fowler.”
Keith’s note: The golf research in space thing has been one of CASIS’ favorite things from the onset of its existence. For a while, it was the only thing they could talk about. It has been 3 years since the golf in space stuff began at CASIS. Has CASIS actually published or promoted any of the research results from this ongoing space golf effort? I have seen zero evidence that it has. CASIS loves to promote these vapid press releases that promise – but never deliver – amazing return on NASA’s investment via goofy sports tie-ins – yet they ignore actual commercial research such as that being done by Ardbeg on the ISS. And of course, CASIS is so inept that they cannot figure out how to tell people about the weekly ACTUAL ISS research results that NASA puts out as part of its Spaceline updates. What is baffling is why NASA continues to put up with this inadequate performance by CASIS.
Keith, how can you expect CASIS to do any relevant or complex when NASA cant even keep their websites up to date. They are 5 months out on updates and still advertising registration for a conference that ended over a month ago. Either no one really cares or maybe they just dont have enough material to make themselves relevant.
http://www.nasa.gov/mission…
Maybe they match available resources to needed work and make some decisions about what’s important.
Maybe the constant budget-cutting has really consequences.
I’ll avoid talking about golf. But I’ve been meaning to ask a question about ISS science for some time.
I’ve helped put together extended mission proposals for several unmanned, planetary missions. Part of getting $60 million per year for Cassini was creating a detailed bibliography of the thousands of peer-reviewed papers published by the mission’s scientists, as well as scientists outside the project but using data from the mission. And trending those publications to show that results haven’t fallen off with time.
Has anyone ever done anything similar for ISS research? If not, why not? I’d think this should be a mandatory requirement for continued funding.
I’ve wondered exactly the same thing. Where’s the impact factor analysis? My best guess is that it isn’t required for the ISS.
The answer is politics. If the funding for Cassini was turned off, it would affect the jobs of a small number of people in Pasadena would run the mission. If you turned off the funding for ISS, it’s all the jobs in all the districts that keep it going, PLUS the diplomatic fallout on our relations with friendly and not-so-friendly nations. ISS funding is nicely safe for some time to come.
Golf. What could be more emblematic of the privileged? I’m picturing those guys on the golf course, facing down the conundrum of what to do with the ISS that they really have no clue about.
“Hey!”, says one of them. “The solution is right in front of my eyes!”
“Really?”, responds his golf buddy. “Do tell!”
“What about some kind of ‘golf in space’ thingy!”
“Great idea!”, responds the rest of the foursome.
“Hell, everyone I know just loves golf!”
RATED R for language
https://youtu.be/pcnFbCCgTo4
When I look at the CASIS website, and I see the backgrounds of their board of directors, I have to wonder why no one on it has a serious background in science, commerce or industry? Why would a fighter pilot astronaut be an appropriate Director of an organization with this kind of charter?Recently there was an ISS conference at which ISS scientists presented all the wonderful work they are doing on ISS to one of the leading chemical companies-CASIS thanked the NASA ISS people for having arranged that introduction-why is NASA arranging the introduction? I thought introducing space to industry was CASIS’ role? Something funny going on here, but bottomline it doesnt appear CASIS is doing the job they signed up to.
CASIS is so broadly and obviously missing its charter that there is something else going on.
During all of the earlier NASA human space programs-early in Station, Shuttle, Skylab and Apollo Applications, and Apollo, NASA got a lot of flack from scientists for having neglected science and so NASA leadership went out of their way to find well recognized (often Nobel prize winners), well published and vocal scientists on their advisory panels so that they would provide guidance, enlist science supporters, and voice approval and endorsement.
NASA seems to have missed the boat when it comes to CASIS. The real issue, though, is that at a cost of $100 billion, and a continuing cost of $3 billion a year, and with the future of human space flight at stake depending on whether or not ISS can be made successful, NASA is wasting its limited resource of time and the US taxpayers resource of dollars.
Where is the NASA leadership?
In space, no one can hear you yell “Fore!”
Wait a minute… Cobra-Puma Golf was a paying customer to do research on the ISS. Their research was about new materials being processed in low gravity. All this hatn’ and bashing does nothing more than discourage any other potential company from using the ISS as a research platform.
Well, read Keith’s original note. Is there actual research going on or is it just another PR campaign in which ISS is hyping some message that they hope might win some interest from the public?
Last week it was the first vegetables ever grown and eaten in space-it got a lot of airtime-except that vegetables have been grown and eaten in space since about 1974 and the Salyut stations. Maybe it was the first time Americans ate space grown vegetables on the ISS? NASA’s credibility is questionable.
The NASA human space program, in general, has been hyping one story after another-for months-maybe years, its all about our journey to Mars; maybe but more than likely its the next generation that might see it and its a BIG IF, and it will require hardware that is different from the current design of Orion which was designed for the moon.
Right now the goal is worthwhile use of ISS-whether its research or something else. If COBRA PUMA is doing real research and paying their way-great. It would be great if we all knew the real story.
You have a point. CASIS has been directed to find paying customers, and in sports there is money available for some very advanced materials development. The association with golf as a sport is incidental.
I am going on the basis of the IG report and Keith Cowing’s prior articles, most notably in Sept 2014,:
“As for the IG’s report, “$14,550 in cash”? I have to wonder what a “pledge” actually entails – obviously not much in terms of actual cash.”
Was any cash ever paid? Or just a pledge? $14K? That would not buy much time from any technical staff, let alone on-orbit time.
What is actually being researched (maybe this is proprietary?), but they ought to be able to tell us what on-board resources are being used.
I’ve been sort of half following this golf thing with a smirk on my face but who knows, maybe they’re onto something (if they produce, which, as Keith notes, is questionable). According to a Forbes article from 2002, Nike had sales of $500 million for golf balls alone (or the equal of one Discovery mission). If my Dad were still around (and he was a big space lover), if I should him pics of Pluto he would have thought that was cool, but if I told him space could add another 20 yards to his drive, now that would have made him even happier. 🙂
I guess this begs the obvious question,
IF golf equipment production is a multi-billion $$$ a year industry,and if space based research or manufacturing offers potential for improvements, CASIS and NASA can only get a less than $15000 a year pledge for participation?
Sounds like somebody missed the boat! We have just clearly illustrated the failure that is CASIS and the ISS program.
It sounds like Bas Lansdorp from Mars One and Greg Johnson from CASIS have the same approach to selling their services.