[sci.space.shuttle] Space White Paper

bird@kksys.mn.org (Mike Bird) (03/21/90)

My brother is announcing that he will run for the U. S. Senate in Alaska
tomorrow.  He is running as a Republican against an incumbent Republican, 
so he'll probably get blown out of the water.

However, he has asked me to give him a "White Paper" on what the U. S.
policy on space should be.  He has described a White Paper as being a
position paper of 2 or 3 pages length.  I have agreed to do this, and I'd
like some input from y'all.  (O.K., let me clear out 20Mb or so on my hard
disk...)

My basic position is that NASA should concentrate on R&D, just like it does
in the Aeronautics arena and should off-load the operational stuff to either
a private contractor, or else a new government agency should be set up to
handle shuttle and satellite activities.  SDI, Space station, the Deep Space
Network and probes, would still fall under NASA.

I also think it's time to get some "new blood" into the space contracting
side.  Most of the large contractors (Martin Marietta (sp?), Lockheed,
Rockwell, etc.) have, IMHO, a hardening of the arteries due to being so
large.  They're almost as bureaucratic as NASA.  As a result, in both the
government (NASA) and private sectors, new, risky, ideas are passed over for
tried-and-true methods.  This has caused (also IMHO) a stagnation in our
space efforts.  Money has a lot to do with it as well.

So, please e-mail me your opinions by March 28th, 1990.  Anything sent after
that will not get consideration.  When I have the thing keyed in, I will
send a copy to all contributors.  No input, no copy (this is called
"incentive").  I *will* listen to views which conflict with mine, but it
will have to be convincing.  Flames (and anything with profane language in
it) will *not* be considered or copied.  And may prejudice (sp?) me against
the (presumably conflicting) viewpoint even more.

Thanks for the netbandwidth.

P.S.  Postings (as opposed to e-mail) may be considered, but won't be
copied.
-- 
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Mike Bird - B. Dalton, Bookseller                         bird@clavdivs.MN.ORG 
Helen Bird - Hummingbird Tailors                         helen@clavdivs.MN.ORG
Laid off in 1990                    All opinions void where prohibited by law!