Originally Posted by
tdracer
Remi
The problem is that there is precious little 'new' technology being funded by NASA in the last couple of decades - and almost no new technology for the SLS.
Here is a small part of last year's "precious little 'new'" technology:
https://d2pn8kiwq2w21t.cloudfront.ne...ual-report.pdf
SLS has the air of an expensive project going nowhere, but we've already covered the fact that it's the subcontractors (alternative spelling: "Boeing") that aren't performing:
https://oig.nasa.gov/wp-content/uplo.../ig-24-015.pdf
SLS uses the same liquid fuel engines as the Space Shuttle,
Well, yes, and no, coming down on the side of "not really."
https://www.sme.org/globalassets/sme...zzle-liner.pdf
What Musk really wants to do with "NASA" is make sure Boeing isn't ever a viable competitor, but I don't think he needs to choke off NASA funding to accomplish that mission. McDonnell Douglas management did that already. Meanwhile, Elon will never be able to make even a dent in LockMart's business.
Even though it seems like technology creates things "right now," in aerospace (and military in particular), systems don't really mature in less than a decade after initial deployment. Many continue to just get better as they move through different "Blocks" for several decades.