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