Obama must be totally clueless.

Why don't we outsource the military while we're at it.

Privatized, de-regulated and still employing NASA - sounds like a win-win-win for secret space program.

Dumbfuck, what you think Blackwater is?

*do you*

Why don't we outsource the military while we're at it.
#2 | Posted by mysterytoy at 2010-01-24 07:11 PM

They already have. They outsourced the terrorists and the military to "fight" them. Rent-a-coup doesn't cover lost or stolen luggage though.

Why don't we outsource the military while we're at it.

WTF do you think blackwater was?

How'd that work out?

I bet the chinese could build us a nice space station. "Houston we have a ploblem!"

Blackwater is a better fighting machine than the Marines. At lest Blackwater has an incentive to fight. MONEY. If the Marines kill too many terrorists they get courtmartialed

Do they get a commission?

"Blackwater is a better fighting machine than the Marines."

I'm guessing that a large portion of Blackwater was originally trained by our Marine Corps or our Army.

Woohooo! That means we will have minority engineers designing our space program in Indian and Gawd knows where else while we sleep at night.

Woohooo! That means we will have minority engineers designing our space program in Indian and Gawd knows where else while we sleep at night.

#12 | Posted by Unclesam

Imagine all those little tiny Chinese seats in the space shuttle.

its fuckin hillarious.

in one breath the obama hate club will say.. let the private sector and market decide..

on the other hand when obama does do this they cry the opposite.

maybe you didn't hear, but private company's have created a much cheaper method of going to space then the space shuttle.

we should utilize a multi progned aproach to conquering space... who the hell are you to think otherwise?

"That means we will have minority engineers designing our space program in Indian and Gawd knows where else while we sleep at night"

uhmm thats not what the article is saying.

there are many private american company's tackling space including virgin galactic.

the douchebags wnat to claim space in the name of the usa instead of humanity.

the military already outsources the building of military equipment and vehicles including our aircrafts.

why should the same be applied to space travel?

oh yea, you guys have no clue what you are talking about.

You can only throw so many billions at banks and public sector employees before you have to start cutting costs elsewhere.

Great idea. Obama gets kudos on this from me.

Imagine all those little tiny Chinese seats in the space shuttle.

Someone's been indulging in Vonnegut before noon again.

Someone's been indulging in Vonnegut before noon again.

#20 | Posted by goatman

Lol. No just doing paperwork, watching the rain come down. A siesta would be good about now.

I have to give him props...any private industry will do things better and more efficiently than gov't ever can.

The spacecraft have always been built by private companies.

(Cue next stupid thread.)

"I guess the question I'm asked the most often is: "When you were sitting in that capsule listening to the count-down, how did you feel?" Well, the answer to that one is easy. I felt exactly how you would feel if you were getting ready to launch and knew you were sitting on top of two million parts -- all built by the lowest bidder on a government contract."

~John Glenn

The sad part is, NASA will not get smaller. It will be just another money gobbling leach between the tax payer and the space program.

NASA has never designed or built its spacecraft, it simply sets out the mission goals and turns the rest over to the private sector. I fail to see why this is even an announcement from the President.

Lockheed got the contract for the next moon shot in '06. Whats the big deal?

boy, the big deal was little o made it sound like he was going to change something. Don't confuse the libs with facts.

The goal is to set up a multiyear, multi-billion-dollar initiative allowing private firms, including some start-ups, to compete to build and operate spacecraft capable of ferrying U.S. astronauts into orbitand eventually deeper into the solar system.

Read the bold word.

That's why it's a big deal. Private companies may build the vehicles, but NASA has been responsible for their operation in the past.

That's why it was NASA who were questioned when Challenger exploded and when Columbia came to pieces.

Now those vehicles will be operated by a private company. Something I know you "free market conservatives" love and those "socialist commie libs", like Obama, hate.

Uhm. Wait, what? SHIT!

Rutan Rulz!!

Close NASA, and privatize it all.

That's why it's a big deal. Private companies may build the vehicles, but NASA has been responsible for their operation in the past.
#27 | Posted by Axiom at 2010-01-25 12:13 PM | Reply | Flag

Exactly. This will also impact NASA's long range goals, as the private market will in effect create and implement NASA's strategic mission and goals. Want to go to Mars? Well, that'll only be possible if the private market decides to do so and provides the means to do it. I personally believe that this will cripple NASA and continue its decline into ignominity.

Multiple companies producing different portions of a craft that makes it possible for humans to occupy space... are going to seamlessly come together as one to crate this new batch of stuff... and safely take us off this planet? Right.

That's why it's a big deal. Private companies may build the vehicles, but NASA has been responsible for their operation in the past.
#27 | Posted by Axiom

Exactly. This will also impact NASA's long range goals, as the private market will in effect create and implement NASA's strategic mission and goals. Want to go to Mars? Well, that'll only be possible if the private market decides to do so and provides the means to do it. I personally believe that this will cripple NASA and continue its decline into ignominity.
#30 | Posted by bartimus

Oops, you're right. NASA has never built their crafts entirely from scratch. They outsource most of their stuff. Big dummy.

Multiple companies producing different portions of a craft that makes it possible for humans to occupy space... are going to seamlessly come together as one to crate this new batch of stuff... and safely take us off this planet? Right.

You're aware of the giant fucking artificial satellite orbiting the planet right now called "International Space Station", right?

End of NASA's global warming program?

Taking it away from the giant money-pit NASA? Good deal! There are plenty of companies that can do more, with less, and better. NASA is too big, too bloated.

To all the people screaming about chinese and indian. No one said this was guaranteed to go tot he far east. We have plenty of good, competent, hungry aerospace startups right here.

But way to jump to conclusions. I'd expect no less of you simple minded dopes.

and now the chickenshit pussy liar is going to give jobs from nasa away???

AHHHHHHHHHH

so much for the obama vote in parts of florida and south houston to clear lake..(thats nasa for you who dont know)

Taking it away from the giant money-pit NASA? Good deal! There are plenty of companies that can do more, with less, and better. NASA is too big, too bloated.

#35 | Posted by unklegwar

HELL no...THREE ships for columbus to sail all that way to find out the earth really is flat..
and to take that much money from the "MONEY-PIT.

good deal

unflegwar's GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT GREAT ...DITTO...grandfather.

Taking it away from the giant money-pit NASA? Good deal! There are plenty of companies that can do more, with less, and better. NASA is too big, too bloated.

#35 | Posted by unklegwar at 2010-01-25 02:28 PM | Reply | Flag

Tell me, how much is NASA's annual budget and what pecentage of the federal budget is it today? Now tell me how much the budget was and the percentage of the federal budget when we went to the moon. Still "too big and bloated" these days?

Ironically, those stating that there are private enterprises that can do more with less fail to recognize that these companies often build on technologies and methodologies invented by NASA in the first place. Without the first steps provided by NASA, these companies wouldn't even get off the ground (no pun intended).

As Phony as the Armstrong's Moon Walk!

Hell why not "Outsource" the astronauts too! Think of the money NASA will save if they hire say 3rd world astronauts who'll work for a dollar an hour or even less! Heck with digital imaging NASA can cheaply "create" all the astronauts it wants and make the whole "production" look as real as life! Livin' large off the US Taxpayers is no doubt NASA's bottom line!

Think of the money NASA will save if they hire say 3rd world astronauts who'll work for a dollar an hour or even less!

Because there would still be Americans like me who would do it for free. Hell, there have already been a small handful who have paid big bucks to get their asses to the ISS. Why would NASA pay someone a buck an hour?

Flag Waving Psychos!!!

"there have already been a small handful who have paid big bucks to get their asses to the ISS.."

Thats right! They're paying NASA and NASA doesn't have to pay them and so again "Big Profits" are the name of NASA's game!
**Also you can get many Americans to Torture and Murder loads of innocent people around the world and for "Free" too...all you have to do is to wave that old shitty,bloody stained flag in front of these psychos!!!

Thats right! They're paying NASA...
#41 | Posted by AntiCadillac at 2010-01-26 12:05 AM | Reply | Flag:

Just as a point of clarification, the folks who pay to fly to the ISS actually pay the Russians and go up in the Soyuz capsules rather than the Space Shuttle. To my knowledge, NASA has never transported anyone for money - so I don't see where you're getting the "Big Profits" for NASA.

Why don't we outsource the military while we're at it.

#2 | Posted by mysterytoy at 2010-01-24 07:11 PM | Reply | Flag:

Bush already did that.

Blackwater.

Not for nothing but you know when the Marines were sent to Tripoli in the 18th century, they used mercenaries as well

Because there would still be Americans like me who would do it for free.

Now that's a scary thought, an oilman in space. Don't you have to pass a to big to fly and to dumb for infantry test to work in that industry?

Seriously folks this is the kind of idea that just opens the door to more graft and less quality in the management. It's like building automatic cars that run on Microsoft software. Would you buy one?

Wealth does not insure brains and companies that build parts for NASA do it to NASA's specs, not some third rate engineer that got his degree by skating through school on Daddy Big Bucks wallet. You would have people like Michael Brown (from FEMA during Katrina), the past president of the Arabian Horse Society running the show because of family ties. At least NASA has standards for scientists and astronauts to get hired.

People that say things like,"...any private industry will do things better and more efficiently than gov't ever can.", obviously have not used the US Post Office to ship goods from Hawaii or Alaska lately.

Blackwater was an example of how billions can be milked from the public coffers without proper oversight because it was a private company, not in spite of it.

As already pointed out, NASA does outsource all the manufacturing and inspects each and every part before it goes to space. After owning a fairly modern piece of shit Chevy, I cringe at the thought of some company like GM building spacecraft without total government oversight.

Not for nothing but you know when the Marines were sent to Tripoli in the 18th century, they used mercenaries as well

The difference being that in the Battle of Derna, foreign mercenaries were 'lead' by American Military personnel. Blackwater is a rouge rag-tag force of mercenaries who have never played by the rules and apparently were not 'lead' by the military.

BTW...The first Barbary war was a dismal failure because the military did not have a big enough force to enforce the treaty (hence the need for mercenaries). The use of mercenaries was a strategic necessity, not a public robbery scheme like Haliburton and Blackwater. That's why there was a second Barbary Coast War.