[meteorite-list] Wise Men on the Potomac

[E.P. Grondine]

Hi Sterling - 

> No, the Aliens are not the problem. I worry
> instead about the Wise Men of the Potomac who want to 
> beach the fleet and burn it on the shore in order
> to save the Republic from the perils of exploration.
> - Sterling K. Webb

The problem is not Wise Men on the Potomac, but greedy men in Utah.

The bottom line: Ares 1 isn’t viable.

If Ares 1 was viable, then ATK would have entered the medium launch market long ago on its own dime. They didn’t.

Instead, we have $10 billion wasted on a non-viable rocket, and the Utah delegation is holding NASA hostage for more. The current myth ATK is promoting is that increasing CO2 levels have no effect on climate, and that if the tax money/printed money for research into “climate change” were spent on Ares 1, Ares 1 would be viable.

While I do not know the effects of increasing CO2 on climate, it is important generally to determine if there are any, and if so what those effects are, so that any appropriate steps might be taken. In any case, long range and very long range weather forecasts need to be improved.

Also in any case, the amount of cash from canceling “climate research” will not be enough to make the Ares 1 a viable rocket.

The window for DIRECT is rapidly closing, and ATK hopes that it will close, leaving Ares 5 as the only HLV alternative.

It’s not.

Ed
It is also apparent that the rest of the US space industry is pretty fed up with ATK’s actions.