>>SNIP
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>>>We spent more money and did not keep it simple. Who got to the Moon and back? It was a matter of money, priorities, pride and technology - not necessarily in that order! :) By the way I worked on the Apollo and LEM projects.
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>>I'd sure like to hear what you thought the FIRST TIME you saw that LEM. I was 19 and a huge follower/believer in the space program and I know that I thought they had gone off their rocker with that thing. Yet, in the end, it performed fantastically and was my first real lesson in 'thinking outside of the box'.
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>>
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>>>Tom
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>Jim;
>
>To be honest - the LEM and it's concept scared the Heck out of me! I thought it was the weak link in the entire project. We spent a lot of money, made lots of mistakes, killed three men, and completed the mission. I think if we attempted to do this today with the attitudes that exist and control NASA, we would fail and kill many more people in the process.
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>Todays technology is so much more advanced than it was in the 1967-74 period when I worked on these projects. However politics controls too much of what NASA does and NASA has proven it can spend more money than you can print.
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>I can see the NASA brass cutting the purse strings to please the politicians and the engineers screamming for more money and time. I think we had better stay on the ground. :)
>
Tom,

I'd agree with this. I believe that it still may be true that there's not a way to prove that either a bumblebee or a B-24 can fly.< g >