The Lost Art of Fact Checking.

Executive Director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Major General Robert Dickman (USAF-Ret): "In 2003, there were over 1,000 research projects focusing on basic non- exploration space physical and life sciences across the United States, which supported over 1,500 scientists, and over 3,000 students. Today, only five years later, there are 85 such research projects, supporting approximately 300 students."

Advisory Board Member, Coalition for Space Exploration Former NASA Flight Director / Director Mission Operations, Gene Kranz: "The funding stream that has supported the Shuttle will be redirected to the major development phase of Projects Orion and Ares. However, this approach, as laid out in the Vision for Space Exploration, will lead to the creation of roughly a 4 1/2 year gap--at least! This decision and impractical, shortsighted approach was not driven by the current NASA leadership, but rather by the preceding regime in close coordination with "bean-counters" from the Office of Management and Budget."

Ahhhh, Gene, maybe next time you testify you might want to check your facts? Who created the gap? Who killed the pipeline of technology programs aimed at reducing lifecycle costs, enabling reliable access to space, and inspiring the next generation replacing the 26% of aerospace workers eligible for retirement this year? Last time we checked, the previous group was going to be flying competing designs THIS YEAR, and flying to the moon in 2015, not just to ISS in 2016...and that's if we're lucky and PDR doesn't slip further.

Did the Emperor pay your green fees last week or something?

Maybe that regime and bean-counters know something the guys footing your paycheck don't? Hope your book editors fact check better than you do. Just a thought...Or do you just like launching into thunderstorms that much?