As it turns out, failure is an option:
During a panel discussion with other Apollo flight directors in Houston, Kranz was asked how NASA accomplished so much, so quickly, in the 1960s and early 1970s, but hasn't been back to deep space since then. By some accounts, in the decades following the Moon landings, NASA has succumbed to a "mind-numbing" bureaucracy and a "paralyzing" cultural requirement for perfection, especially after two space shuttle accidents. Kranz said NASA benefited from a different culture in the 1960s.
"It was an environment in which we were more capable of accepting risk as a nation," Kranz replied. "Space involves risk, and I think that's the one thing about Elon Musk and all the various space entrepreneurs: they're willing to risk their future in order to accomplish the objective that they have decided on. I think we as a nation have to learn that, as an important part of this, to step forward and accept risk."
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Sunday April 16 2017, @05:34AM (5 children)
But USA in 1800-1900 when a lot of the industrial powerhouse were built did not include any safety net asfaik?
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Sunday April 16 2017, @01:49PM (4 children)
Yes, there still was room for expansion and there were new riches to plunder.
But you've reached the Pacific coast, where else you wanna expand now?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Sunday April 16 2017, @09:06PM (3 children)
Space is the obvious place to get hold of minerals and energy. Besides the deep bottoms of the seas are still unexplored.
Another approach is to heat up the budgets for "blue sky" projects and increase the chance for new technologies that gives options for whole new ways to accomplish things.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday April 17 2017, @08:42AM (2 children)
The space belong to corporations, mate. Not to waggon colonists with (black)smithing abilities - too deep a gravitation hole.
But, who knows, maybe somebody actually invents the Shipstone battery and open-sources it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 2) by kaszz on Monday April 17 2017, @09:36AM (1 child)
What's a shipstone battery?
Btw, corporations will likely need someone to run those space machines. Remote control nor AI will cut it for far away operations.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Monday April 17 2017, @10:33AM
If it's Shipstone, it's Friday [wikipedia.org]
For a Google-search, try:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford