Wors of Clancy

From alt.books.tom-clancy:

You know, we've never had a space program. We've spent a lot of money, however,
to create exhibits at the Smithsonian Institution, to shock and awe the people
who pay the bill every April 15th.

A "program" would be a series of thought-out experiments aimed at an
understandable goal that actually led somewhere with the objective of achieving
something of inherent worth. Like building a factory in orbit that could turn
out a useful product that can't be built anywhere else. Or harvesting solar
energy and transmitting down to us flatlanders. But we haven't done that.

We have launched communications satellites (I get my TV off some of them) which
work and turn a profit. Turning a profit is the usual way of determining the
efficiency of anything. (Profit: it gives more back than what it cost to put it
there.) But those birds transmit ideas, which have no mass. (Note, the first
cross-country thing we invented in the US of A was the telegraph, which also
transmitted ideas of no mass. That was Western Union, and it made a profit for
a lot of years.) Then they build a transcontinental railroad, and that is what
opened the West, not the wagon train, desite the TV series we all watched in
the 1950's. But NASA, a government agency which knows neither the profit motive
nor accountability (nice to print the money yourself) does not do this. Nor
does it take responsibility for the things it does wrong. Who lost his job—or
his life—for killing astronauts? Or for not taking the Hubble out of the box
before launch to make sure it worked, at the very facility used by the KH-11
before it goes flying?

And this in a country ruled by lawyers.

That said, going back to the moon is an inherently cool thing to do, IF WE DO
IT RIGHT. Somebody out there, maybe one of you guys, can come up with useful
things to do on the moon that will show a profit eventually.

If NASA were run like a business, it would doubtless work better. It couldn't
be much worse. The much-maligned venture capitalists have more brains, guts,
and productivity than the government ever will.

Instead, as my father told me over 40 years ago, everything the covernment
touches turns to shit. The Space Shuttle is a killing machine that costs too
much money for what it produces. But what can you expect from NASA, which is
that most horrible of institutions, a government-managed monopoly.

Back in 1989, I sat on a panel in the Old Executive Office Building to go over
NASA's plans for the next 20 years. A lot of smart people were there. I sat
next to Edward Teller, which was rather like sitting next to God. But as I
thought at the time, nothing would ever come of it. And nothing did. That's a
long story which I will write up on my autobiography someday, if I ever stretch
my ego that far.

Okay, I invested and lost money in a single-stage-to-orbit spacecraft. It
failed for lack of funding, but I did my part—a million bucks' worth—and I
hope others will do theirs. Somebody will do it someday, and I wish those
people the best of luck. Private enterprise will have to do it.

Until then, NASA will launch its Shuttles, and at least we'll get good
reconsats in orbit. Those are built by Lockheed. And the Shuttle was
specifically designed to launch them. Surprise.

TC
Success will ruin your life.