posted on Feb, 2 2011 @ 01:14 PM
I agree, but I remember, too, from 1957 on, and through others like Tom Wolfe, back to Glamorous Glennis. But as Beer says, from an engineering
standpoint, there's got to be a better way, and if this thread is about anything, it is the suspicion that there is and that it has already been
found and that it is completely operational. On another thread someone was discussing the Aurora Program and suggested the shuttles are as antiquated
as a Model-T, that they were used for show.
Obviously we collectively do not know one way or another, and that is so frustrating, but the pieces don't add up well for me. I've heard everything
from "we've got a replacement for the SR-71" to "We've been to Mars already." along with some very clear instances of nonsense, such as Project
Serpo. Leaving that aside for the moment, just a couple of weeks ago we launched a Delta IV Heavy from Vandenberg with a NRO satellite aboard, It was
a "big deal" because it was the first Heavy launched from that location. So was THAT for show, too, or it a matter of payload issues.
I mean, if we truly have operational advanced capabilities such as the rumored Aurora, then that leads to two questions. One, why is it secret? and
two: What is it good for? Resupplying the ISS should not be a problem. Just send one of those suckers up there and say, "Hi guys. Time for a crew
rotation!" Why bother with a very expensive Delta IV if you can throw a satellite in the trunk of a triangle and toss it into orbit? It just does not
make sense to pretend we do not have those capabilities.
Now, we do have a problem in that we've kept it secret, so there's a face saving issue. I really can't see that as much of an issue either. We've
unveiled secret stuff before, from the SR-71 to the F-117, the B-1 and B-2. I don't think the public would freak out if someone said, "Yup, here's
the SR-74 and we've had this awhile because, you know, we were spying on Russia with it. It can do some cool stuff and has all new technology. And
this is what some of you have mistaken for UFOs." You don't have to say you got the technology from aliens and you don't have to make everything
public at once.
So to me the reasons for keeping this stuff under wraps are pretty flimsy. I really have a hard time applying the usual suspects of "greed, money,
and power" to this. It does not translate well to luxury. After all, all we are talking about here is a means of conveyance. The companies involved
are publicly traded and besides, I want Boeing to do well. The military people involved, even at the highest levels, are not billionaires. By and
large they are dedicated people.
To go beyond this is pure speculation limited only by your imagination. Although there has been some nice discussion on this thread, about all I have
out of it is to forget Dulce and look towards Sandia. And I'm left wondering:
What in Heaven's name is the big deal here?