Yeah, I agree with your comments below that politicians make lousy engineering decisions. But engineers make lousy political decisions, too. The political apparatus isn't a machine you can simply reprogram or redesign. You have to seduce it.
Lee put it succintly above when he talked about slipping a vigorous space program by Congress "below the radar". You cook a lobster by putting a live lobster in a pot of cold water and then turning on the heat. The temperature rises slowly enough that it doesn't notice what's happening until too late, doesn't struggle and taint its meat with panic hormones, and you end up with a succulent meal.
An incremental plan is a political necessity in the current environment of a deficit looming like Olympus Mons and a public psychology of fear.
That's all I'm saying. I just don't think that, today, the nation would listen to talk of a Big Goal like Mars. I don't like it; I agree with you that Mars is the Big Goal, the worthy goal. But we have to keep our heads down for the next few years so as to not spook the politicians and the people. We dare not risk being perceived as crackpots out of touch with reality.
Space/Science » in reply to The Problem With Baby Steps Is Risk Of Incompletion
How to cook a lobster
The whole thread (44 posts)
- Bill to restore vision for Human spaceflight
- CAIB Report roots
- Begin With The End In Mind - Steven Covey
- re: Don't take this personally - just noticed your 1st person perspective
- The good thing about baby steps
- The Problem With Baby Steps Is Risk Of Incompletion
- re: I have a better idea of a technological challenge
- This Is The Problem When You Have Politicians Set Technical Goals
- CAIB Report roots