RE: ???(Offtopic) (was RE: A simple guy with a simple problem)

["Bullard, Claude L (Len)" <clbullar@ingr.com>]

Problem became, they weren't the only ones 
who could choose.  Take a look at how 
much money just went down the tubes on 
the reusuable shuttle program.

How it gets almost done faster, simpler, cheaper:

1.  They had a design.  They got to work.
2.  Reagan changed his mind or forgot what 
    he said.  Congress issues new orders.
3.  They respond with a new design.  They 
    go back to work.
4.  Reagan wants to help Gorbachav.  He 
    orders NASA to work with the Soviets.  
    Good political move; very complicated 
    management problem.  Good engineers 
    on both sides having to learn to speak 
    the same language and get over decades 
    of mistrust.  Repeat Step 3.
5.  Reagan goes away.  Bush steps in. 
    Bush has new economic plans and there is a 
    short war which sucks up the budget.  Repeat step 3.
6.  Bush goes away.  Clinton comes 
    in.  Clinton doesn't care.  Things stabilize.
7.  The thing gets to orbit.  It 
    is underpowered, smaller than planned, has 
    very noisy fans.  Is close to obsolete 
    the day it is opened.  The design changes 
    make a lot of the proposed applications 
    impossible.  It is simpler but also 
    of limited utility.
8   Repeat Step 3.

An interesting comment from my son's godfather 
about Skylab: "We orbited it and after three 
crews realized we were quickly running out 
of interesting things to do there."

And the Mir is heading to the Pacific.  All 
good friends in OZ and NZLand:  DUCK! 

Len 
http://www.mp3.com/LenBullard

Ekam sat.h, Vipraah bahudhaa vadanti.
Daamyata. Datta. Dayadhvam.h


-----Original Message-----
From: david barnes [mailto:d.d.barnes@ic.ac.uk]


as they said at nasa:
	simple, faster, cheaper
	choose two