NASA chokes again

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
oups.com...
After more than two years, and less than a month from scheduled launch,
NASA decides to pull the shuttle off the launch pad, transport it back
to the vehicle assembly building, and install a HEATER?

This took two years to figure out?

I swear, Gene Kranz must shake his head in disbelief at what has become
of our space program. Can anyone imagine NASA going to the moon with
this kind of hand-wringing, risk averse management?

Here is the full article:
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NASA Delays Post-Columbia Flight Again
By MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer


NASA's big problem with the shuttle is that they over promised 35 years ago
to get it funded. They promised a safe, inexpensive, reusable space truck
with quick turnaround time. Arguably, they missed each of those marks. In
addition, they tried to sell space travel as routine, and people hold them
to that standard.

Unfortunately, space travel is anything but routine, and the shuttle (or any
other space vehicle) has more than a few single points of failure that have
fatal consequences.

NASA, Congress, and the US public need to recognize and admit that if we're
going to continue manned space flight, we will suffer losses. We need to
accept that fact and move forward without all of the hand wringing and
political posturing that we get with every accident. Not that we shouldn't
strive for a perfect safety record, but even if NASA had unlimited funding,
riding rockets would still dangerous.

For me, it comes down to this (choose 1):

- Continue manned space flight and recognize that people are likely to be
killed from time to time, despite the best efforts to prevent accidents.

- Discontinue manned space flight.

KB