Could the congress/president establish within NASA a uniformed service similar to the NOAA corps and the PHSCC, where astronauts would receive a commission and be entitled to wear a NASAC Uniform with rank?
NASA Corps?
- Thread starter Data Holmes
- Start date
To create a separate uniformed force responsible for space, that's why.
Why would we need that? Our military has got enough branches as it is (possibly even too many).
I'm talking about a uniformed service, not another armed force under the DoD. That's why I specifically mentioned that it be like the PHSCC and NOAA Corps.
That's still too many branches (be they military or not), IMHO.
If we're not going to go the most efficient route (which is what the Canadians have done with their single, unified military command), they should just do what Stargate SG-1 has done: give responsibility for all spaceflight operations to one branch, in their case the Air Force.
Dont be silly. EVERY astronaut and cosmonaut (except for a few civilian riders) has been military.
Pretending that NASA astronauts, the Soviet cosmonauts or the Chinese Taikonauts are otherwise is just fooling yourself....
Pretending that NASA astronauts, the Soviet cosmonauts or the Chinese Taikonauts are otherwise is just fooling yourself....
Not true. There have been civilian astronauts.
Well what the post you are responding to actually says is that "All astronauts have been military except the civilians" which is a bit like saying "All ice cream is chocolate except the other flavours" - mmm ice cream.
I'm still not satisfied that the OP has explained why an organisation like NASA needs to be military. As is explored in Stargate there is a strong desire to civilianise the program, and in fact the Atlantis expedition is headed by civilian authority.
Don't get me wrong - I have an extremely high opinion of those who serve in the military, but military command has its weaknesses. First off, they are soldiers, trained to fight, and they think that way too. While still human like the rest of us they think about the threat when confronting something new, which could colour their perception.
Also the need for the military's strict chain of command and style of management is less in a space program than a war. While emergencies do occur and they are generally solved by quick counter action through well drilled procedures (as in the military) there has to be more room for scientists to say "wait a sec" than there would be in the military.
Plus it would make NASA's funding situation even more precarious, as a lot of people on the hill would baulk at increasing the budget of the USAF whenever they want to boost the space program. They would instantly get hit in the press as warmongers.
I'm not concerned about astronauts being military, I'm concerned about their bosses being Generals instead of administrators.
The Air Force already has a Space Command - so this would be superfluous. NASA is for advancement of scientific knowledge and that can't be accomplished very well as a military unit.
One, I think that all "space based" military operations should be placed under a new military service, the "United States Space Force".
Second I think that NASA should have an "officer corps" like the NOAA and PHSS do. These are not military, but uniformed civilians.
Second I think that NASA should have an "officer corps" like the NOAA and PHSS do. These are not military, but uniformed civilians.
Why Data Holmes would either make the country work any better?
Generating a whole new branch of the military requires a whole new set of support services that are not required for our limited space operations right now.
Additionally, giving NASA an Officer Corps doesn't off the cuff looks like it would help them. If it would, great, but otherwise us talking about it would be wishing for a Starfleet that hasn't come to pass.
Remember, Starfleet is a united military force of many unified planets - and this one isn't unified yet.
Generating a whole new branch of the military requires a whole new set of support services that are not required for our limited space operations right now.
Additionally, giving NASA an Officer Corps doesn't off the cuff looks like it would help them. If it would, great, but otherwise us talking about it would be wishing for a Starfleet that hasn't come to pass.
Remember, Starfleet is a united military force of many unified planets - and this one isn't unified yet.
Like I said, that would mean having *too many branches*. We should start to think about doing what the Canadians have done - create a military with only *one* branch. We should simplify things, not make them more complicated.
And while we're at it we should not have any branches that "sound" military but really aren't. Is there any particular *reason* that the PHSCC and NOAA Corps are uniformed services? What does that accomplish? I'm not saying abolish the organizations, of course. Just stop trying to make them 'paramilitary'.
Space Corps advocates in the USAF are beginning to sound off...
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/565/1
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread60596/pg1
http://www.thespacereview.com/article/565/1
http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread60596/pg1
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