🚀 go-pugleaf

roberts@cmr.ncsl.nist.gov (John Roberts) writes:

>...SEI didn't sell, largely because of the projected 
>horrendous cost (~$400 billion, if I recall correctly). [liability
>to any mission related to SEI, "camel's nose under tent" effect]

SEI was the ultimate manifestation of the old NASA/Von Braun style 
of space development, sold honestly.  We're going to tell you today 
just how we're going to develop space, out into the middle of the next 
century.  We've got all the Next Logical Steps planned out, just so.  
Of course there won't be any technological advance before 2030 that 
would make our plans obsolete.  Of course we won't discover anything on
the asteroids that would make them better targets than the Moon
or Mars, or on the comets, or on Jupiter, or anywhere else in
space; obviously the Moon and Mars are the Next Logical Steps
and that's that.  Obviously the commercial and military satellites
are just trivial child's play against our inspiring and ambitious
Plan.  Obviously Man In Space is central, and robot probes will play 
only a peripheral role, and no technoligical advance can change that.
This is a Long Term Plan, so don't expect any sort of applications 
or payback, except of course there will be Spinoffs.

STS and SSF, the first two Logical Steps, were sold dishonestly,
claiming dramatic capabilities that were cut back to trivia and huge 
breakthroughts that became huge liablities.  SEI was the second two 
Logical Steps, sold more honestly: we're going to spend your tax
money, tons of it, with no application or payback at all, except
the sheer Adventure of it.  

When honestly presented, The Plan is most thoroughly rejected.  

It's time to move on to the 21st century instead of trying to
implement the myths of the first half of the 20th, fantasies
political (central planning economics) and technoligical (space
stations, shuttles, Buck Rogers, etc.).  Done is the era
of the dominance of Man in Space, coming is the dominance of 
Space for the wants and needs of Mankind.  Out goes prejudiced
central planning and Next Logical Steps, in comes building 
space infrastructure through emergent competition, and 
adaptation to change.  Begone with technology as religious
sacrament; let's use technology as tool. 

The 21st century will soon be here.  Toto, I don't think we're 
in Kanas any more!


-- 
Nick Szabo					 szabo@techboook.com