2006-09-11 19:39:10 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Yes and no.
NASA is run by incompetents if you include the 535 members of Congress who insist on micromanaging it. Congress is full of lawyers. The staff members are either lawyers or PR people. Their egos are so big that they simply cannot accept the notion that they do not know what needs to be and do not possess the education to figure out what needs to be done.
NASA the agency is run by gifted, skilled, and dedicated people who can achieve whatever mission we set before them if we choose to allow them to do so. The Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs were successful because the President established the primary mission, because Congress funded it, and then the scientists, engineers, and astronauts were told to get it done.
Here's a good example. NASA did some preliminary work on inflatable habitat modules for the space station. The preliminary work was very good. It appeared that it would be cheaper to construct the "dormitory" using an inflatable module. Guess what happened. The members of Congress whose districts would have been affected by that change, scuttled it. There's a link to HR1654 below.
On the surface, Section 127 is innocuous. It says that NASA cannot spend any money on inflatable modules unless they can demonstrate that they are cheaper and will not affect the assembly schedule. But, read the first clause, it prohibits all design and development work too. So, Section 127 prohibits research into inflatables because NASA cannot spend any money to prove the points that they are required to prove in order to spend the money. That's the very definition of Catch-22 and it was done intentionally by Congress.
2006-09-12 03:32:14 · answer #1 · answered by Otis F 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Interesting. There sure is no cure for stupid. NASA, the one (and only) Federal agency that has more accomplishments to it's record than all the rest put together. The only one that is currently (and has been, for decades) returning $9 for every $1 it spends.
Incompetents? Compared to what???
2006-09-11 20:06:34 · answer #2 · answered by Dusty 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
An unfair comment if one understands the complexity of launch vehicles and multitudes of problems involved in launching and safe recovery of space vehicles.
2006-09-11 19:50:07 · answer #3 · answered by openpsychy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
NASA is run by the US government. So there you have your answer!
2006-09-12 02:24:50 · answer #4 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What makes you think so ??????????As it is after the Columbia disaster there was tremendous hue n cry over it.They are inetlligent,smart n sensible unlike u guys n therefore are trying to fix problems.It also takes fund to put man on mars.N remember u n i just sit n dream of mars but they ve gotta work out those intricate problems.So get real man!!!!!!!!!
2006-09-11 22:49:02 · answer #5 · answered by onlysrija 1 · 1⤊ 2⤋
They get things done and they're capable smart people. But,they have no vison and plans for the rest of us.
2006-09-11 19:45:29 · answer #6 · answered by sandwreckoner 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Could you do a better job of running it?
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2006-09-11 20:31:44 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Well we haven't been to Mars yet, and we first went to the moon 37 yeas ago... so I'd have to agree. They're obviously not doing something right.
2006-09-11 22:08:20 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
That is because it is a government agency. That is why we need to turn to private industry if humankind hopes to move beyond this Earth.
2006-09-11 19:56:32 · answer #9 · answered by Search first before you ask it 7 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Yes, but they are still smarter then me.
2006-09-15 15:19:25 · answer #10 · answered by T diddy 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋