SpaceX Dragon

Watching the spacecraft splash down yesterday brought back memories of my time working at NASA during the Gemini days. That was the period when the greatest advances were made in many areas. Computer software was designed and developed like no other, using IBM 7094 technology as a base for the computer operating system used worldwide today. No, that is not Microsoft Windows.

The Gemini spacecraft design was more than just a little larger version of the Mercury spacecraft. Gemini was built larger to fit two astronauts and designed with rocket thrusters for modifying space flight. The first docking of two spacecraft was achieved on March 16, 1966, when Gemini 8, under the command of Neil Armstrong, rendezvoused and docked with an uncrewed Agena Target Vehicle. The development of space suits and the environment to support astronauts for longer periods and safety protocols were constantly being improved.

I remember the feeling each time the spacecraft landed safely in the ocean and was recovered without incident. I remember the long hours of testing and more testing including “full flight simulations” that preceded each mission. I remember the feeling when a simulation was canceled due to a problem. Each day, I started each shift off with a reminder to myself and my staff with the message that “errors could cost someone his life.” During my years at NASA, no astronaut lost his life, and I am grateful for that.

All these years later I wonder if the Space Shuttle and Sky Lab was just a big pause in the space program to keep activity going and spending in the federal budget. Do we need to go back to the moon just to prove we can build that technology again? Do we need a project to go to Mars to prove we can? It is clear to me that the US Government is so bloated and rudderless that it is not able to handle those tasks today.

What if all those engineers and scientists at NASA were focused on safer and more efficient aircraft, trucks, buses, houses, and many other areas. Development centers where American manufactures do not have to have their own research and development but can take a designed product and apply their additions. The cost of these centers would be funded by member companies that would be provided with licenses to use patents for products developed. This could bring down the development cost, reduce the cost of repairs, and provide more efficient products.

Sometimes, you have to get outside the box to see a different way to make a better mousetrap. Making America Better Again is the process of getting Americans working together for the common good with “We The People” in the driver’s seat.