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It's part of what NASA does, and it's a very good thing. If commercial companies are left to their own devices when it comes to things like airplanes, very very

by cryptoz 11y ago

It's part of what NASA does, and it's a very good thing. If commercial companies are left to their own devices when it comes to things like airplanes, very very bad and damaging things happen like unchecked pollutants, urban noise, lack of safety, etc. It's very important for NASA and taxpayers to be a part of this process. > Supersonic vehicle research addresses the development of tools, technologies, and knowledge to help eliminate today’s technical barriers to practical commercial supersonic flight: sonic boom, fuel efficiency, airport community noise, high-altitude emissions, structural weight and flexibility, airspace operations, and the ability to design future vehicles in an integrated, multidisciplinary manner. http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/aavp/cst/index.html http://www.aeronautics.nasa.gov/aavp/cst/index.html

hackuser 11y ago
> If commercial companies are left to their own devices when it comes to things like airplanes, very very bad and damaging things happen like unchecked pollutants, urban noise, lack of safety, etc. It's very important for NASA and taxpayers to be a part of this process. Those sound like issues for regulators, not NASA.
- arcanus 11y ago
  On the contrary, several of these points are not as simple as regulation, but are issues requiring fundamental research. NASA is about much more than space, and possesses cutting edge domain expertise in aerospace, which they are leveraging here. And the products of these investigations are more broadly available than if a similar result was captured by Boeing or Airbus, for example, where it would likely be a trade secret.
  - jxdjsks 11y ago
    Companies should be charged for these externalities. Going to pollute? How many people a year will this kill? What is the economic cost of these deaths? Levy that sum on the companies. Very simple. Then lets see who funds the research into cleaner tech.

by cryptoz 11y ago

hackuser 11y ago

> If commercial companies are left to their own devices when it comes to things like airplanes, very very bad and damaging things happen like unchecked pollutants, urban noise, lack of safety, etc. It's very important for NASA and taxpayers to be a part of this process. Those sound like issues for regulators, not NASA.

arcanus 11y ago
On the contrary, several of these points are not as simple as regulation, but are issues requiring fundamental research. NASA is about much more than space, and possesses cutting edge domain expertise in aerospace, which they are leveraging here. And the products of these investigations are more broadly available than if a similar result was captured by Boeing or Airbus, for example, where it would likely be a trade secret.
- jxdjsks 11y ago
  Companies should be charged for these externalities. Going to pollute? How many people a year will this kill? What is the economic cost of these deaths? Levy that sum on the companies. Very simple. Then lets see who funds the research into cleaner tech.