Yet Another Space Organization White Paper
Coalition of Space Organizations to Release White Paper: Ensuring U.S. Leadership in Space, AIAA
“A coalition of 13 space organizations will release its white paper, “Ensuring U.S. Leadership in Space.” White paper to call attention to the need for the next administration and Congress to make space exploration and use a policy priority. White paper will propose solutions to four challenges facing the U.S. space exploration and use enterprise: unpredictable budgeting, foreign competition, the hostile space environment, and workforce trends.”
Hey, I guess it at least keeps interest in human spaceflight. Otherwise they might eventually decide to just bite the bullet and cancel it in the next financial crisis.
Oh well…seems it’s a Friday release? Don’t tell me the contents, let me guess.
Space is really important. Space is hard. NASA needs lots more money. Time and patience is a must too. Space is hard. Lets stay focused. R&D is so important. Space is hard.
Nothing about NASA having to do better, at most a tiny hint. Nothing about major industry players having to do better, at most a polite hint. Isn’t New Space doing great! Segue into how this is why Lockheed, etc. prime’s need to be given more money.
Let’s hope I’m eating crow when the report comes out, that it is different, and breaks with the usual circular arguments and vague un-actionable notional arm-waving.
I can’t hardly wait.
So what’s the better answer – if nobody’s going to go back to funding NASA at Apollo levels, just hide in a corner? Most candidates don’t know squat about space (recall Trump’s pothole comment) nor do their staffers and some who think they do (like Newt Gingrich) can do a lot of harm if they make space seem outlandish (recall he wanted to violate the UN Space Treaty and set up a moon colony and make it the 51st state).
The paper seeks to educate staffers on space issues and challenges in a balanced and realistic way – maybe it will succeed in getting more informed public policy, maybe it won’t but its worth trying.