Let's Light That Candle!

[ccmdfd]

I'm always glad that they choose caution over impatience.

That's not always been the case.

[Hambo]

That's not always been the case.

I didn't say it has been or that it's always the case with all the entities that launch now. I'm just happy when they do it.

[blues]

I didn't say it has been or that it's always the case with all the entities that launch now. I'm just happy when they do it.

Yet another example of unreliable feds.

[Hambo]

Yet another example of unreliable feds.

Actually, in these cases it's unreliable private companies. There have been some satellite launches that made me wonder whether old NASA would have gone in those conditions. It's not at "hold my beer" level, but it seems as though they push the envelope. But what do I know? I'm not a rocket scientist, just a guy who lives downrange.

[Greg]

[blues]

Actually, in these cases it's unreliable private companies. There have been some satellite launches that made me wonder whether old NASA would have gone in those conditions. It's not at "hold my beer" level, but it seems as though they push the envelope. But what do I know? I'm not a rocket scientist, just a guy who lives downrange.

I was conducting an investigation back in the early 2000's on behalf of the State Department ODTC, (Office of Defense Trade Controls), in connection with the illegal export of a precursor chemical necessary for the manufacture of solid rocket propellant. (The fear was that it might end up in the hands of some our Middle Eastern enemies.)

Anyway, that investigation gave me the opportunity to spend some quality telephonic time with actual NASA rocket scientists who clued me in to just what I was looking at in terms of fueling Scud missiles and such post 9/11. I wasn't going to allow this to slip through our fingers and potentially endanger our brave service men and women overseas.

Fascinating stuff. As a lifelong astronomy buff, NASA holds a special place in my black little heart.

(Postscript: I tracked it down. I had to go to Brazil to do so, and utilize a contact at a three letter agency that was a former nemesis, but we got 'er done.)

[JimCunn]

"Rhysling"

For a blind poet, he done good.
There sure are a lot of Heinlein fans on this forum :-)

[Stephanie B]

I was conducting an investigation back in the early 2000's on behalf of the State Department ODTC, (Office of Defense Trade Controls), in connection with the illegal export of a precursor chemical necessary for the manufacture of solid rocket propellant. (The fear was that it might end up in the hands of some our Middle Eastern enemies.)

Anyway, that investigation gave me the opportunity to spend some quality telephonic time with actual NASA rocket scientists who clued me in to just what I was looking at in terms of fueling Scud missiles and such post 9/11. I wasn't going to allow this to slip through our fingers and potentially endanger our brave service men and women overseas.

Fascinating stuff. As a lifelong astronomy buff, NASA holds a special place in my black little heart.

(Postscript: I tracked it down. I had to go to Brazil to do so, and utilize a contact at a three letter agency that was a former nemesis, but we got 'er done.)

OK, you had best be working on your memoirs when you're not jacking your keyboard on here.

[blues]

OK, you had best be working on your memoirs when you're not jacking your keyboard on here.

Sounds a lot more intriguing in a paragraph than it does to work on tracking the shit down via carriers, missing manifests, and false documents.

Ended up being shipped via Maersk unmanifested to Brazil where the chemical / pharmaceutical corporation sold it via cutouts to Brazil's (rough) equivalent of our NASA.

I had to use CIA to give me an assist while down in Sao Paulo to get the Brazilian gov't to come clean by convincing them there would be no repercussions at the diplomatic level if I could verify that the chemical was in their hands. (The State Dept. had already advised me that had Brazil gone through proper channels they would not have been granted access to the (highly dangerous) chemical. Hence the duplicity.)

Bottom line, I was primarily concerned with our military and that the item wasn't transshipped to the Middle East.

The corporation which was responsible for selling the product, (legal domestically in the U.S. but controlled), pled to a felony.

And that's most of it.

I actually referred @Tom_Jones to the the attorney in CO that represented the corporation through the investigation and eventual plea. (To help him with any export issues involving the SCD. Don't know if they ever did business, though.)

[Stephanie B]

Sounds a lot more intriguing in a paragraph than it does to work on tracking the shit down via carriers, missing manifests, and false documents.

Ended up being shipped via Maersk unmanifested to Brazil where the chemical / pharmaceutical corporation sold it via cutouts to Brazil's (rough) equivalent of our NASA.

I had to use CIA to give me an assist while down in Sao Paulo to get the Brazilian gov't to come clean by convincing them there would be no repercussions at the diplomatic level if I could verify that the chemical was in their hands. (The State Dept. had already advised me that had Brazil gone through proper channels they would not have been granted access to the chemical. Hence the duplicity.)

Bottom line, I was primarily concerned with our military and that the item wasn't transshipped to the Middle East.

The corporation which was responsible for selling the product, (legal domestically in the U.S. but controlled), pled to a felony.

And that's most of it.

I actually referred @Tom_Jones to the the attorney in CO that represented the corporation through the investigation and eventual plea. (To help him with any export issues involving the SCD. Don't know if they ever did business, though.)

You know that, with a little judicious embellishment here and there, that could be jazzed up into a chop-socky movie with some action star, or made into an action comedy? You could be the technical advisor and go on a junket to the shoot in San Paulo...