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4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

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Re: 4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

#141

Post by lostmsu »

perihelions wrote: post #109
lostmsu wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> a Trump-like figure, spouting vapid promises of greatness Can't pinpoint who you are referring to. Gemini thinks Yeltsin? But neither it nor I remember any "greatness" promises from the guy.

Putin made a number of incredibly grandiose promises about Russia's progress in space (and in technology and engineering generally), as he dismantled and looted Roscosmos over the past twenty years—gifting away its wealth to oligarch allies. The Russian space capability is a shadow of its former self, barely able to maintain its old Soviet rocket production. Their ISS modules, if you've been following, are quite lite…

To be fair, Russian space stagnated since before him. The current fallout is caused by somebody actually bothering to move forward.

Re: 4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

#142

Post by dextrous »

Politics aside, according to a pretty comprehensive study (118 missions) it does seem that SpaceX is much more efficient than NASA [1]. Data like this would suggest privatization of space missions is a good idea. Maybe this conclusion is biased somehow, or perhaps the purpose of a dedicated govt org is different in some way that justifies its budget and scope despite the difference in efficiency?

https://qz.com/emails/space-business/2172377/an-oxford-case-...

Re: 4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

#143

Post by justin66 »

eagerpace wrote: post #125

I’m trying to think how I feel about this. I’ve been obsessed with space for a long time, remember traveling to see my first rocket launch of the shuttle in 2006. Follow the commercial development closely since then. Their science missions are inspiring, but not as inspiring as they ought to be. NASA needs an overhaul. This isn’t how I would do it, but that’s not how things work in the real world. SLS is the elephant…

> NASA needs an overhaul. This isn’t how I would do it, but that’s not how things work in the real world. SLS is the elephant in the room and is a complete disaster. It’s a jobs program limping along decades old technology when the commercial options are better.

It’s more accurate to say that Congress needs an overhaul. Over the years NASA administrators have pushed back on SLS to the fullest extent you’d expect, but it’s not their call how Congress allocates money.

Losing career managers, scientists and engineers isn’t going to fix any of the things you want to see fixed.

Re: 4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

#144

Post by jordanb »

eagerpace wrote: post #125

I’m trying to think how I feel about this. I’ve been obsessed with space for a long time, remember traveling to see my first rocket launch of the shuttle in 2006. Follow the commercial development closely since then. Their science missions are inspiring, but not as inspiring as they ought to be. NASA needs an overhaul. This isn’t how I would do it, but that’s not how things work in the real world. SLS is the elephant…

> SLS is the elephant in the room and is a complete disaster

SLS isn't great but it does.. you know.. work.

Re: 4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

#145

Post by perihelions »

ineedaj0b wrote: post #38
kacesensitive wrote: post #20

I know a few of these people. The two I've spoken with since their resignation basically said, "we're definitely getting laid off unless something insane changes with the funding cuts so at least this way we get a severance." It's really sad how our NASA funding is the lowest it's been since 1961. https://www.planetary.org/articles/nasa-2026-budget-proposal... I'm so sick of the not only incompetent leadership in the…

i too knew a lot of NASA employed peopled and it’s always regrettable to lose a job but.. what the heck was our space program doing? i know they blamed changing leadership and changing budget but the space shuttle’s replacement program was run horribly. the only working part of cape canaveral was whatever spy satellites they needed to launch. thankfully spaceX does a pretty good job and while I wish it was still nasa…

Congress expressly directed NASA to create SLS, and expressly structured it to maximize job creation in designated Congressional districts—a goal obviously in tension with getting shit done*.

I don't think it's correct to blame the NASA, the agency, for management decisions made by their overseer!

*(Imagine what SpaceX would look like if Starbase were split into 50 pieces in 50 states—nosecones from Alaska, winglets from Senator Shelby's district in Alabama... Imagine, if their senior executive wasn't breathing down everyone's necks to build things faster, but instead prioritized employee headcount as his objective function (maximizing–not minimizing). The way Congressional lawmakers run their pet projects is quite ridiculous).

Re: 4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

#146

Post by azinman2 »

dextrous wrote: post #142

Politics aside, according to a pretty comprehensive study (118 missions) it does seem that SpaceX is much more efficient than NASA [1]. Data like this would suggest privatization of space missions is a good idea. Maybe this conclusion is biased somehow, or perhaps the purpose of a dedicated govt org is different in some way that justifies its budget and scope despite the difference in efficiency? https://qz.com/email…

NASA does far more science research than spacex.

Re: 4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

#147

Post by belter »

dextrous wrote: post #142

Politics aside, according to a pretty comprehensive study (118 missions) it does seem that SpaceX is much more efficient than NASA [1]. Data like this would suggest privatization of space missions is a good idea. Maybe this conclusion is biased somehow, or perhaps the purpose of a dedicated govt org is different in some way that justifies its budget and scope despite the difference in efficiency? https://qz.com/email…

> Data like this would suggest privatization of space missions is a good idea

How is that working out with the US Health Care System?

Re: 4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

#148

Post by belter »

jordanb wrote: post #144
eagerpace wrote: post #125

I’m trying to think how I feel about this. I’ve been obsessed with space for a long time, remember traveling to see my first rocket launch of the shuttle in 2006. Follow the commercial development closely since then. Their science missions are inspiring, but not as inspiring as they ought to be. NASA needs an overhaul. This isn’t how I would do it, but that’s not how things work in the real world. SLS is the elephant…

> SLS is the elephant in the room and is a complete disaster SLS isn't great but it does.. you know.. work.

Except for the under powered orbits but that is a whole other issue.

https://youtu.be/XFIvKSVRtZ0

https://youtu.be/sGT-8PHSVso

Re: 4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

#149

Post by [deleted] »

belter wrote: post #147
dextrous wrote: post #142

Politics aside, according to a pretty comprehensive study (118 missions) it does seem that SpaceX is much more efficient than NASA [1]. Data like this would suggest privatization of space missions is a good idea. Maybe this conclusion is biased somehow, or perhaps the purpose of a dedicated govt org is different in some way that justifies its budget and scope despite the difference in efficiency? https://qz.com/email…

> Data like this would suggest privatization of space missions is a good idea How is that working out with the US Health Care System?

[deleted]

Re: 4k NASA employees opt to leave agency through deferred resignation program

#150

Post by rtkwe »

eagerpace wrote: post #131
reactordev wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Anytime you have subcontractors of the subcontractor of the prime contract holder, you’re going to get construction projects that go 20 years. It’s totally a jobs program. Job security and predictable pay outs. The entire space coast of Florida was built on this, from Kennedy Space Center down to Jupiter, FL.

Beyond FL, they’re careful to make sure parts of the rocket at built in EVERY state! Now something that should be cutting edge innovation is tied to Congress which is intentionally not innovative and you wonder why it falls behind.

There's that but also NASA gets continually screwed with, the moon return mission changed scope every 8 or so years when a new president came in and wanted to put their own stamp on the project to claim it for themselves.
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