[extropy-chat] NASA Launches Startups for Ships

[Adrian Tymes]

--- "Neil H." <neuronexmachina at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hopefully the Innovative Programs office won't end up being silently
> killed off.

At this point they've whipped up enough fervor that it'd be noisily
killed off, if it is to be quickly killed off.

Which is not to say it's not in danger.  Just that we'd be likely to
hear about it if it does get publically axed by Congress.  And that
would set up for public protests that Congress has turned NASA from a
place to get humanity into space, into a pork barrel project.  Even
with all the modern techno-dreams, space was (and to some extent still
is) the big techno-dream of those now hitting AARP age...and that age
bracket votes, heavily.  Congresscritters ain't dumb when it comes to
their own political survival: any of them who might wish to go against
IP and the like has already done this calculus.

The threat is that it'll be held where it is, and starved of resources
to do a quick job until people lose interest.  Problem is, doing more
with less is precisely what it's about, and it does already have its
own budget.

*rereads the above*

...there was a time when I was completely ignorant about how government
funding worked.  Then again, I wonder if I still am, and if the above
is completely off-base?