Re: A really great essay by Keith Cowing

[EMAIL PROTECTED] (Eric Chomko) writes:
> 
> jeff findley ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) wrote:
> : [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Eric Chomko) writes:
> : > Let's keep the DoD OUT of NASA!
> 
> : This statement makes absolutely no since.  Post Challenger, DOD was
> : pulling "out of NASA" as fast as it possibly could.  DOD space
> : operations are as separate from NASA as DOD can make them.
> 
> Ah, no... TDRSS.

Ah, yes... Milstar, CAPRICORN, SDS, Mission-22...  DOD maintains many
communications systems that are not joint with NASA.

> : Read up on some of the silliness that went on developing Hubble and
> : you'll see just how much DOD tried to keep NASA at arms length.  Or
> : better yet, just start reading any part of NASA history that interests
> : you.  
> 
> NPOESS, the future. Explain about DOD arm's length.
> 
> Google: NPOESS  (I figured I'd return the favor.)

Google: DMSP.  DOD may participate in joint programs such as NPOESS,
but it also maintains its own systems.  That's why I originally said
that DOD keeps NASA "at arms length".

You failed to mention the really black programs like optical and
electronic signals gathering satellites.

When you say we should "get the DOD out of NASA", you're talking about
a very small overlap between the two.  It's also hard to pin down just
how much DOD spends on space, due to the fact that much of what they
do in space is "black", but it's a safe bet that these black space
programs aren't cheap, even by DOD standards.

Jeff
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