From: jfindley@cinci.nospam.rr.com   
      
   In article , jfmezei.spamnot@vaxination.ca   
   says...   
   >   
   > SpaceX was barely done bolting its launch tower together  when it   
   > stacked its mega rocket on a launch platform still hot from the welding   
   > a couple days ago.  Cowboy, perhaps.   
   >   
   >   
   > SpaceX delivered Dragon 1 quickly. Dragon2 had some delays, but nothing   
   > very dramatic, and they even had time to do cosmetic stuff like   
   > futuristic interior and fashionable launch/entry suits.   
   >   
   > Meanwhile, Boeing Starliner and SLS are taking years to get their act   
   > together.   
   >   
   >   
   > What intrigues me is that when you have a narrow window to launch to   
   > Mars, Vulcan, Jupiter or other celestial body, NASA magically launches   
   > on time.  But for certain projects like SLS, it seems like interminable   
   > delays.   
      
   ULA, and now Falcon, launch interplanetery probes.  That's why they   
   generally launch on time.   
      
   > Are these "make work" projects and NASA/politicians have no   
   > incentive/intention to have deliverables because those are not critical   
   > and prefer to stretch the pork $ over as many years as possible for job   
   > creation purposes ?   
   >   
   > Or is Boeing/ULA truly incapable of delivering Starliner or SLS?   
      
   SLS is cost plus, so little incentive there.   
      
   Starliner is fixed price, so Boeing doesn't collect money until they   
   reach certain milestones.  I believe that they get a payout with a   
   successful uncrewed test flight to ISS.   
      
   > Going forward, does this mean that whenver NASA needs something   
   actually   
   > done, it will go to SpaceX, and any work handed off to Boeing/ULA is   
   > just the result of lobbying with no deliverables expected?   
      
   No.  Government contracts are competitively bid.   
      
   > If there is a competitive bid with both Boeing and SpaceX winning   
   > separate COTS contracts (eg Dragon/Starliner) does this now mean that   
   > NASA will base its mission plans on SpaceX hardware because it is the   
   > one that delivers while it will ignore Boeing from critical plath   
   > planning because it can't expect deliverables from them?   
      
   No.  Government contracts are competitively bid.   
      
   Jeff   
   --   
   All opinions posted by me on Usenet News are mine, and mine alone.   
   These posts do not reflect the opinions of my family, friends,   
   employer, or any organization that I am a member of.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)