OT: Andromeda Strain, anyone?

[Dennyf]

Hope we don't get "condition wildfire."

 

Just noting the coincidence, not expressing any concern. Except for more NASA fumbly-diddles.

[Tedster]

That would suck if it did contain a "space virus". As it is, I hope some test results were salvageable...

[Billster]

Duck, FunkJazz, DUCK!!!!!!!!!!

 

Do you get the impression NASA's budget might be just a little TOO trimmed back?

[Funk Jazz]

sh*t !!! that's in my backyard.

 

i think Diamond Dust is a little closer though...

 

anyone hear a final figure on how many billions we wasted on this little fiasco?

[Billster]

Originally posted by funk jazz:

anyone hear a final figure on how many billions we wasted on this little fiasco?

CNN reports that this was an "884 day, $260 million mission"

 

$260 million? A few more missions, and they'll be talking real money.

[A String]

I'm still waiting to hear whether or not they got any usable samples. The container cracked open which will have contaminated the samples, but there is a chance that some of it will be o.k. It would be a shame to get nothing after such a long wait.

[Dennyf]

Ya know, I'm all for the space program, always have been. I feel sorry for all the visionary and creative people that basically are bound to either working with a huge, bloated beauracracy that's main goal is justifying it's own existence as opposed to accomplishing it's mission, or sitting on their thumbs.

 

Hey, that kinda sounds like musicians and the recording industry . . .

 

But anyway, back to the point: Among federal agencies, I have the greatest fondness for NASA, which seems to have glimmerings of efficiency in terms of getting a lot out of fairly limited mission resources, once they get hardware in the air.

 

But then I look at fiascos like Hubble (huge cockup, but brilliant save) and the space shuttle, which is most impressive only 'cuz it flys at all, not that it's particularly well-suited to any mission. And it's only good for low-earth orbit stuff to boot. Anyway, I look at stuff like that, and it distresses me to think how much money gets spent for so few results. Typical government issue.

 

I am excited about the recent "Space Ship One" success, deplore how little we've heard about it, and hope that finally space may get a little more privatized. Then shit will REALLY start to fly, so to speak.

 

If we have a "destiny," I think it's "out there." There is great, and justified, concern about how the planet's getting used up. But everything has a life cycle. A plant doesn't hoard it's resources to prolong it's own existence, it expends them to cast it's seeds to the wind. I can't help but feel the human mind is a thing of too much brilliance to be destined to be stuck in one spot until it sputters out especially since there is so much "out-there" out there.

 

Oops, didn't mean to get all existential on yo' collective ass, uhh, lessee, where's those tunes I'm supposed to be learning? . . .