rcsplinters":vmnfs6ne said:
Of course, its rather more complicated than that. However, my point is that as a country we have recently chosen to leave manned space flight to the more progressive countries like Russia, India and China.
Nope. All we did was say that US astronauts will go to LEO in commercial rockets. This is by no means abandonment of the space program. There will still be US government astronauts and official US government manned space missions.
We leave manned space flight to the countries which still have the courage and leadership to support such a program
I see, so, from 1790 to 1798, when there was neither a Continental Navy nor a Department of the Navy, the United States somehow lacked "courage and leadership"??? So, George Washington, being the President of the United States at the time, lacked courage and leadership?? Were we not a seafaring nation during those 8 years?
I'll have you know that there were many US ships during that time, flying the US Flag. They just weren't Navy or US Government vessels.
I'll say it again...if there are rockets with the US Flag painted on them, launching from US soil, subject to US law, made in the USA, with a US crew, that is a United States space program. I don't see how it wouldn't be.
That recent SpaceX launch: are you suggesting that was not a US launch??? I saw a US Flag on the rocket. It was launched on US soil. A US company. Made in the US. How is it not a US launch?
Today, most ships on the Sea are private merchant vessels.
Right now, there is no compelling reason for NASA to have a fleet of LEO rockets. The time will come when vessels are permanently in space with "US NAVY" painted on them, and names like "USS ENTERPRISE" but now is not that time.
Now is the time for the government to encourage and stimulate the well regulated private exploitation of space.
--Brian