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We need to shield the US space program from election cycle chaos
- maxharris 6y agoWhy not just get out of SpaceX's way? It's pretty obvious where the vast majority of the action is: Boca Chica, TX and Hawthorne, CA. It is not Huntsville, AL! I'm not putting down anyone's work at JPL (I know several people that work there and do good things, in fact). NASA generally, however, definitely got captured by the large defense contractors that rode it for all the pork they could get for decades. This is essentially due to the strenuous efforts from such people as Senator Richard Shelby, the Republican from Alabama. (Ever walk past his local office in the Huntsville "International" Airport, and wonder why he doesn't actually live in Alabama, and why few locals even bother to take notice of this fact?) And yes, I have lived within driving distance of both Huntsville and Hawthorne, recently. I remember hearing about the layoffs in Huntsville, as the father at the table next to me was explaining that it was dad's last day of work. I felt for them :( My point here is that space is too important to keep throwing good money after bad. Let's just cut the crap and get out of the way of the proven winner here.