Comments on: The dirty little story behind Hubble.

By: RL

RL — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 01:20:08 +0000

The Mars rover Curiosity was hit with fraud: http://spaceflightnow.com/news/n0910/20titanium/ (scroll down, the formatting is screwy on that page) http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2009/feb/18/1m18stetz005011-titanium-fraud-case-deserves-wider/

By: RL

RL — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 01:00:49 +0000

http://articles.latimes.com/1993-10-05/business/fi-42487_1_hubble-telescope I agree that the resolution of that matter was not handled correctly- as pointed out the cost of the fraud far exceeded the punishment (fines). but as you can see in the above article it was an agreement with the Justice department. It doesn't look like NASA really set the punishment, and it certainly was never in the hands of any of the scientists, engineers or technicians... It looks like it was a political resolution...

By: bowser

bowser — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 02:15:21 +0000

Exactly. What they call private enterprise, capitalism. Prevents waste.

By: mcfly

mcfly — Mon, 02 Nov 2015 01:18:08 +0000

Maybe I’ve become too cynical for my own good. In all honesty, I don’t *want* to lose faith in any part of our aerospace program, public or private. I appreciate the insight you can bring on such matters, RL.

By: RL

RL — Sun, 01 Nov 2015 19:06:48 +0000

I really don’t think that is what motivates the vast majority of the folks at NASA…

By: Robert

Robert — Sun, 01 Nov 2015 18:16:33 +0000

Conclusion: The privatization of profit and the socialization of risk is the real American Way

By: mcfly

mcfly — Sun, 01 Nov 2015 14:38:15 +0000

If you’re with NASA and think the day may come when you’ll seek a job in the private sector, the last thing you’ll want is to be remembered as “that government bastard who held our feet to the fire.”

So corporate fraud is to a very large measure overlooked, and you and I get to eat the cost of private sector wrong-doing.