Eric Berger has published his thoughts on the matter.
In an attempt to create a backup Elon Musk (who also worked at online payments early in his career) in case the real one’s ego clashes with Trump’s one too many times.
kakistocracy
I don’t know how corrupt this guy is, but at least he isn’t an idiot.
Or kafkastocracy
Let me guess, Bribery
Possibly, but I don’t think so in this particular case.
He may be a billionaire, but he’s not a bad pick for the role. He already has experience in the industry funding missions launched with SpaceX and he has been to space multiple times. Not just for a joyride like some other billionaires, but doing actual scientific research on those missions, including several studies and proof of concept things for NASA and SpaceX with Crew Dragon.
Only 3 of the 14 NASA Administrators to date have even been in space and had a chance to experience the overview effect directly.
Cronyism
Interesting speculation on SLS and potential changes to the Artemis architecture:
Multiple sources have told Ars that the SLS rocket—which has long had staunch backing from Congress—is now on the chopping block. No final decisions have been made, but a tentative deal is in place with lawmakers to end the rocket in exchange for moving US Space Command to Huntsville, Alabama.
So how would NASA astronauts get to the Moon without the SLS rocket? Nothing is final, and the trade space is open. One possible scenario being discussed for future Artemis missions is to launch the Orion spacecraft on a New Glenn rocket into low-Earth orbit. There, it could dock with a Centaur upper stage that would launch on a Vulcan rocket. This Centaur stage would then boost Orion toward lunar orbit.
SLS has been criticized for years by many people inside and outside of NASA. This new guy not liking it isn’t anything shocking or inherently bad.
One possible scenario being discussed for future Artemis missions is to launch the Orion spacecraft on a New Glenn rocket into low-Earth orbit. There, it could dock with a Centaur upper stage that would launch on a Vulcan rocket. This Centaur stage would then boost Orion toward lunar orbit.
We’ll try literally anything NOT to look like Apollo, because god forbid we do something that works.
Except SLS isn’t working. The insane cost, delays, low flight rate, and ballooning ground infrastructure costs are making it untenable. Distributed lift via commercial launchers is conceptually more complicated, but practically a lot cheaper, more available, more flexible, and removes some size and weight constraints.
Also, for Artemis 4+, I think a Starship with an adapter to Orion would be a cleaner single launch than a New Glenn / Centaur distributed lift.
Artemis is really nothing like Apollo though.
They’re making stupid changes just for the sake of changes. Like launching a separate lander, or the stupid orbit around the moon, or massive over engineering for other missions that everyone already knew wouldn’t happen on this craft. What are the astronauts going to do when they get to the moon that hasn’t been done already and/or can’t be done better by robots?
Artemis is a Multi-billion dick waving mission that only serves to get money into the pockets of huge companies.
I’m divided on Gateway, because I know it’s unnecessary, but space stations are cool. I lean toward cancelling it.
I’m totally on board with distributed lift for the landers. That architecture lets them land more mass, like bigger pressurized landers for longer stays and bigger crews, the surface habitat, and the pressurized rover.
Whether to explore space or not is a different question. I’m a hopeless sci-fi nerd, so I’m already inspired and working in the industry. I think that’s a much better way to spend money than the Pentagon. I would much rather have space exploration and planetary science instead of more ICBMs.
He can really get into sucking a smelly dick.
Because trump is all about being stupid as shit. This should not be a auto anyone.
Definitely one of his better picks, though.
Which is saying extremely little
I bet he, elon, and trump will try for something big spacewise before the 4 years of trump’s presidency are up. Knowing literally nothing about any of this, that is my one prediction
There’s already a lot in motion that should happen in the next 4 years that they’ll probably try to take credit for. The Artemis 2 moon flyby and Artemis 3 moon landing should happen in that window. The first private space stations should also start to launch.
Jared Isaacman also wants to send up a Hubble servicing mission in a SpaceX Dragon, which he’ll probably have the clout to authorize now.
These articles are becoming quite stale tbh, like I think it’s just common knowledge that he said that he doesn’t agree with government services so he is intentionally trying to choose people who don’t know what they’re doing and won’t be able to allow the service to strive to fit his narrative
We are likely going to see a similar style of this article for every person he chooses, because I don’t think he’s going to choose a single person who’s fit for the job, and that’s his intention.
This aside, I do have to say though, at least this pick has Aerospace experience, so he’s more qualified than the other picks he’s done so far. Like I think he might do good for the organization, but I do think he’s going to try to shift into a more privatized field because he has vested interest in doing so
I mean, why the hell not? We are living in Bizarro World.
Holy fuck what even is this article lol
