SpaceShipOne repeats its feat

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Making space flight happen

Financing is part of it. Another part is a continuity of research and development by the same group of people. This is not Burt Rutan's or Scaled Composites' first craft. They've been doing experimental aircraft design for a long, long time.

Which brings me to another point. Most of the geniuses behind the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs are retired or dead. We have lost a large of the continuity of expertise because we couldn't get a follow-on program running long enough to make a difference. They have been axed by Congress or by NASA (under duress of one budget office or another) so frequently that there is no momentum left.

In talking with several senior aerospace engineers, I've found that none of them would counsel a young person to make a career in aerospace engineering. It doesn't pay as much as IT, you work hard to get an advanced degree, and there is no job security. The few who do enter the field are serious die-hards; and they are definitely not entering as quickly as older engineers are leaving or dying off. And you can't outsource this, unless you want to outsource security clearances as well.

Research facilities are going into decay as well. The world's largest wind tunnel (at NASA Ames) has essentially been shut down; other special purpose tunnels are probably on the chopping block. Some of this stuff cannot be model on computers.

Posted by: asky   Posted on: 10/04/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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