Wednesday, August 04, 2004

$250 000

$250 000 is the estimated value of the Human life, fame, fortune, and position modifiers notwithstanding.

If such is the case, Astronauts, you are getting the shaft (minus the foam).

The fruit of the Columbia Disaster inquiry should have been insight into dangerous design flaws that could pave the way to ingenious new ways of keeping our astronauts safe. For example, a contained cockpit that would act as a life-pod should the rest of the ship crumble.

Is this the case?

No, of course not. In an effort to avoid looking the money/result ratio problem in the eye, NASA has come up with an ingenious solution to reduce damage, and therefore the risk, to our Astronauts.

Cut down on the amount of foam used in the monopod liquid fuel drum.

Somehow, I get the feeling there should have been more from the inquiry...

But somehow, I also know that the 8.1 billion dollars that NASA needs would be "better spent on national defense."

1 comment:

Ravuya said...

With the state of science in the US, I'm surprised Bush hasn't dumped money into space exploration to go hunt down Al-Qaida's secret spacestation lair.