Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sm.unisys.com!csun!polyslo!jmckerna From: jmckerna@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (THE VIKING) Newsgroups: sci.space Subject: Re: NSS Board membership Message-ID: <7647@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU> Date: 2 Feb 89 09:36:03 GMT References: <1989Jan22.124441.6014@cs.rochester.edu> <7427@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU> <107@beaver.cs.washington.edu> Reply-To: jmckerna@polyslo.CalPoly.EDU (THE VIKING) Organization: Cal Poly State University -- San Luis Obispo Lines: 33 In article <107@beaver.cs.washington.edu> szabonj@minke.UUCP (Nick Szabo) writes: > It's a question of X dollars divided between manned and >unmanned programs. What allocation is best for our future? Spending all >or most of the money on one or two large, risky projects, which go nowhere >but LEO, is the poorest allocation. Sending out a few probes, while >still spending half the money on thread-bare manned projects, is still poor. >The only reasonable allocation is to spend the money on unmanned projects >(and research), and forego manned projects until they are affordable, >and/or discoveries provide the incentive to substantially increase the >budget X which the government provides. You imply that manned projects are worthwhile if they are affordable, and that unmanned projects are worthwhile and cheaper. I stated essentially these points in my previous postings. The difference is that I believe that because manned space R&D is important, there is much to be gained from doing it as soon as possible. Therefore, as long as NASA can get the money out of congress, the R&D should be done. The issue then is the more technical question of whether NASA's budget is sufficient for worthwhile manned R&D. I believe NASA's current budget of over $10 billion a year is enough for a small manned program, leaving $1 or $2 billion for a reasonable productive unmanned program. The point I've reiterated for three postings now is that manned space R&D is important, so if the money can be found it must be persued, even though it is much more expensive than unmanned. Unmanned space R&D is just as important and so must be persued too, though with less money because a productive program requires less. John L. McKernan. Student, Computer Science, Cal Poly S.L.O. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- .signature currently under government sponsored basic research. Results guaranteed to advance science, satisfy every special interest group, generate 2000 times the wealth expended, and show up the Russians expected REAL SOON NOW.