XPost: sci.space.policy, sci.physics   
   From: invalid@invalid.com   
      
   On 8/25/2017 3:00 PM, JF Mezei wrote:   
   > On 2017-08-25 00:51, Fred J. McCall wrote:   
   >   
   >> The only 'upgrade' that was going to fix the Shuttle costs was 'scrap   
   >> and replace'.  Well, unless you can start paying the 'standing army'   
   >> slave wages.   
   >   
   > Even NASA had plans to make changes to the shuttle to reduce its costs   
   > significantly. But not allowed/no budget to implement.   
   >   
   > The problem with a "goverment programme" is that politician manage   
   > budgets, and initiative by workers are often blocked by politicians.   
   >   
   >> Nobody is ever "garanteed[sic] X& profit margin on costs".  Have you   
   >> ever managed anything more complex than your lunch money?   
   >   
   > Many government contracts are or were based on cost + (which is   
   > garanteed profit margin).   
   >   
   >   
   >> Uh, you know Boeing is a private enterprise, right?   
   >   
   > Boeing relies heavily on lobbying to get subsidies for commercial   
   > airplanes, tax breaks, and very profitable military and space contracts.   
   > It isn't a normal "private enterprise".   
      
   you are saying Boeing is not profitable.   
      
   > And for space, it has operated   
   > in a low/no competition market with no incentive to make radical   
   > innovation to lower costs.   
      
   not so. Locheed Martin, Ball Aerospace....   
      
   >   
   > With all its engineering talent, how come Boeing couldn't come up with   
   > the equivalent of low cost Falcon 9 rockets decades before the new kid   
   > on the block SpaceX ?   
      
   not that much of a market in sounders.   
      
   >   
   > The answer is simple: lobbying ensures you continue to get contracts   
   > despite having highly inefficient very costly launchers.   
      
   no.  there are very few needed, existing contractors already have proven   
   rockets.   
      
   >   
   > If NASA weren't influenced by lobbying, do you really think they would   
   > have launched its latest TDRS on an expensive Atlas rocket or would they   
   > have gone witgh much cheaper SpaceX Falcon 9?   
      
   depends upon the mission.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)