Re: starship-design: NASA Should Buy New Space Vehicles, Not Build Them

[Zenon Kulpa <zkulpa@ippt.gov.pl>]

> From owner-starship-design@lists.uoregon.edu Tue May 13 05:57:58 2003
> From: KellySt@aol.com
> 
> Damn this would be a fantastic boost for space -- assuming its not bull.  
> I.e. NASA has talked this talk before.
> 
Kelly, note that "this talk" is told not by NASA, but by
Space Frontier Foundation's Rick Tumlinson,
who were "Challenging testimony by NASA Administrator"...

-- Zenon Kulpa

> In a message dated 5/11/03 9:28:29 AM, lparker@cacaphony.net writes:
> 
> >NASA Should Buy New Space Vehicles, Not Build Them
> >
> >
> >Los Angeles - May 09, 2003
> >
> >Challenging testimony by NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe, the 
> >Foundation called on NASA to transform itself into a customer for private
> >enterprise, rather than a competitor.
> >
> >O'Keefe told the Senate subcommittee overseeing NASA's budget, "We will
> >pursue activities unique to our mission -- if NASA does not do them, they
> >will not get done. If others are doing them, we should question why NASA
> >is involved."
> >
> >Citing several recent announcements of privately financed space vehicles,
> >the Foundation's Rick Tumlinson asked: "If private enterprise is developing
> >this capability with its own money, why is NASA wasting billions to pay
> >government contractors to design a spaceplane specifically for NASA?
> >
> >"NASA should transform itself into a customer for private spaceplanes,
> >instead of a competitor. The agency should buy rather than build, when
> >it comes to future transportation from the Earth to space."
> >
[... etc. etc.]