Article

2019-11-23 Government

The Air Force Tried to Operate Efficiently ‐ But Apparently That's Not Allowed

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Posted by 746 2019-11-23 00:00|| || Front Page|| [13 views ] Top

#1 I'm calling bullshit. The only other competitor is United launch Alliance (Boeing + Lockheed) and their Atlas V uses Russian engines. Think ULA, as a monopoly w/ much political pull, will give the Air Force a competitive price w/o a SpaceX or Blue Origin breathing down their necks?

Posted by Unaitle Panda6599 2019-11-23 00:37|| 2019-11-23 00:37|| Front Page Top

#2 Competitive contract bidding. When has it ever resulted in efficiency ?

Posted by Dron66046 2019-11-23 02:16|| 2019-11-23 02:16|| Front Page Top

#3 Ask your corrupt congresscritter who writes the law that says your government procurement officer can't walk down to Walmart/Home Depot and buy some hammers, but must put it out for bid or use a GSA selected provider who will charge several times the price.

Posted by Procopius2k 2019-11-23 07:13|| 2019-11-23 07:13|| Front Page Top

#4 Sounds like a Deep State Turf Fight™ to me with the Congress Critters™ Vs. the Pentagon Posse™ Vs. the USAF REMF's... Hard to decide who to cheer for.

Posted by magpie 2019-11-23 10:51|| 2019-11-23 10:51|| Front Page Top

#5 I call bullshit too!
Note that they don't use Falcon Heavy that exists or consider Starship or Blue Origin
BUT Vulcan doesn't Exist YET! 0 Flights
It's the prime platform and it's more powerful second stage was just shutdown
The Solid fuel one from the ENDLESSLY merging and RENAMING company doesn't exist either and it's one of the chosen...
THE GAO folks get my vote.

Posted by 3dc 2019-11-23 12:24|| 2019-11-23 12:24|| Front Page Top

#6 people like Bezos and Musk cannot be trusted. They are attempting to weaken an effective, essential national security program, and government watchdogs like the GAO are helping to pave the way

Oligarchs 'R' US[A]

Posted by Lex 2019-11-23 13:46|| 2019-11-23 13:46|| Front Page Top

#7 BTW Atlas can not be bid as it uses the Russian engines.
Instead ULA and it's parents Boeing/Lockheed are using Vulcan (0 flights) with Blue Origin first stage engines (0 Flights).

So Vulcan is king but uses Blue Origin engines and an all Blue Origin rocket must be questionable.... Implication is the Blue must only be an engine manufacturer. A rather presumptive and regal attitude.

Posted by 3dc 2019-11-23 14:01|| 2019-11-23 14:01|| Front Page Top

#8 Well, ULA will either do better than Boeing is these days, or it won't...

Posted by M. Murcek 2019-11-23 15:19|| 2019-11-23 15:19|| Front Page Top

#9 Space X's explosions don't count tho. They are ahead of everyone else, except they aren't.

Posted by M. Murcek 2019-11-23 15:22|| 2019-11-23 15:22|| Front Page Top

#10 Q: What is the difference between Math and Engineering?
A: Engineering is like Math, only louder.

Rocket Science is *really* loud.

Posted by SteveS 2019-11-23 16:06|| 2019-11-23 16:06|| Front Page Top

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