Harry K wrote:

On Dec 13, 1:28 pm, Gig601XLBuilder wrote:

Bob Fry wrote:

"DT" == Darrel Toepfer writes:

DT cavelamb himself wrote:
Rutan's crew won the $20 million prize with SpaceShip One. It
cost $40 million.

They seem to think it was worth it...

DT $1.2m per multisecond zero g space tourist, I think they'll
DT eventually make money...

If Rutan doesn't kill them first.

I guess I'm the only one on the planet that thinks Rutan is more
blowhard than substance. Sure, he can one-off stuff that looks sexy
and advanced. But try delivering a reliable production aircraft or
spacecraft...he can't do it. His spacecraft, as I recall, damn near
went out of control on one or two of the three launches. Only by luck
and skill did they not kill the pilot. It's my fervent hope that the
FAA will examine the hell out of their commercial spacecraft venture.

He's always been a prototype guy. That's what he is good at.




I admit I dislike him for another reason. Everytime I see him on the
TV he's dissing NASA and similar government programs. I grew up
through the 1960's when NASA and others in government were laying the
foundation of technology we all enjoy today, including this forum,
Usenet/Internet. It's not their fault that the Republican
"government-sux" crowd has taken over for 25 years and ruined morale
and budgets.

I grew up in the 60s as well and thought until well into my 20's that
they were the perfect government organization because at the time they
were. They aren't anymore. They are just another federal agency. It is
sad but it is true. You could take the same bunch of people that are in
charge of any random US agency and move them to NASA and you wouldn't
see the least bit of difference in operation.

I really don't think you could hand double the amount of money that was
spent going to the moon in the 60s (adjusted for inflation) and get man
to the moon and back today.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


I agree but for a different reason. Back in the 60s they were given a
very dramatic goal and allowed to run with it. Tremendous risks were
taken and accepted. Try to do the same things they did back then and
they wouldn't be allowed to proceed.

Harry K



There are calculations that tell how many men will die building a bridge
or anything big like that.

There was always the implication that we would lose a crew in space.

But had that happened they (congress) would have wrung their hands
and cried, "How tragic that we funded this", and pulled the plug.

We lost one crew on the ground and nearly lost the whole project.

I just can't fathom it...

Richard