This Blog Is Full Of Crap

Mostly because Lockmart claimed they could make the fuel and oxidizer tanks properly, but they couldn't. The whole vehicle was overweight and wouldn't stand up to the flight regimes useful for the demonstration of the technology. Also, it is entirely likely they winked a lot during the bod process claiming they had experience in this with black projects, but couldn't come out and say so.

Personally, I think they locked up the contract so nobody else would build it, and since they failed, pointed to the practical difficulties as wwhy nobody else can do it either.

CRV was canceled because "failure was not an option." That is the attitude at NASA today. Whatever you do, Do. Not. FAIL.

And by the stage at which X-38 was canceled, it was pretty clear that there were going to be failures during the test cycle. Makes sense -- there are are ALWAYS failures when you are pushing the edge of a technological knowledge envelope. CRV was -- in many ways.

So, as testing continued, things were going to Go Wrong. Nothing that could not be fixed, but some tests were going to involve the "F" word (failure). And "failure is not an option."

So, cancel the sucker. It is overbudget anyhow (big DUH on that: name a successful technology expansion program -- which involves HARDWARE -- that does not). And behind schedule. And Failure Is Not An Option. If we cancel it, we have not failed. Because to fail, you have to try. And not trying, doing nothing, IS an option.

That's what happens when the critic counts more than the man in the arena.