Safe Is Not an Option
“Thoughtful, comprehensive, yet iconoclastic –Safe Is Not An Optionsuccinctly addresses the unrealistically skewed risk-reward perception  in the civilian government space sector. Speaking as a military aviator  and astronaut, I believe this work wisely highlights the shortfalls of  the NASA management not-truly-operational culture and offers a  productive and realistic alternate viewpoint for anyone pursuing the “ad  astra” dream.”Rick SearfossColonel, USAF Retired, Astronaut/Space Shuttle Commander, XCOR Aerospace Chief Test Pilot.“In 2008 I had the great privilege to fly privately to the International  Space Station, where I lived for twelve days. Having grown up with a  NASA astronaut father who flew on Skylab and the Shuttle, I have had a  lifetime opportunity to see how flight safety has evolved in the United  States. Having trained in and flown aboard the Soyuz, I have also seen  the Russian approach to this same important issue. The two hardest items  to control in space exploration are cost and safety. Interestingly, the  Russian approach has often created both improved safety and cost in  comparison with domestic strategies. If we as a global people are going  to push the boundaries of humanity further into the cosmos, we must  decide how much risk we should accept and how should we manage to that  level of risk. Today, we seem so risk averse that we encumber the  already difficult problem of space exploration with red tape, that slows  down the activities, requires spiraling budgets and arguably does not  improve safety in relative measure.”Richard GarriottPrivate Astronaut and Computer Game Pioneer.“Since the end of Apollo, U.S. space operations have ostensibly  emphasized safety first. Rand Simberg persuasively explains why that has  been a mistake, and how we must change if we are to succeed.”Glenn Reynolds aka “Instapundit”Beauchamp Brogan  Distinguished Professor of Law, University of Tennessee, and co-author  Outer Space: Problems of Law & Policy.“A pioneer at the dawn of aviation observed: ‘If you are looking for  perfect safety, you will do well to sit on a fence and watch the birds;  but if you really wish to learn, you must mount a machine and become  acquainted with its tricks by actual trial.’ And since ancient times it  has been known that staying in the harbor is safer than venturing onto  the high seas. But nature demands tolerance of risk if the human race is  to expand beyond our world. Opening the space frontier to humanity will  require no less acceptance than these historical precedents, as Rand  Simberg ably illustrates.”Gary C. HudsonPresident, Space Studies Institute.“Safe Is Not An Optionmakes a strong case for changing minds  and policies about our risk-averse western society and approach to  future commercial space exploration. It’s an excellent read. Rand tears  the sheet off the elephant in the room and exposes us to the  conversation in which western society must engage to remain relevant in  the new millennium. The topic deserves discussion. This book is a  valuable first step.”Stuart O. WittCEO, Mojave Air & Space Port.“Rand Simberg presents an intriguing case that the safety culture within  the government space program, while well intentioned, is in fact  detrimental to the progress of space exploration and development. The  no-holds-barred approach of his viewpoint is sure to disturb the status  quo, but regardless is a captivating read. Whether you agree with his  viewpoint or not,Safe is Not An Optionprovides a necessary perspective for those involved in or connected to the space community.”Michael J. Listner, EsquirePrincipal, Space Law & Policy Solutions, President & CEO (Interim) International Space Safety Foundation.“NASA’s approach to manned space flight has created the impression that  such travel is inherently extremely costly. In this new book, Rand  Simberg makes a persuasive case that NASA’s unprecedented risk aversion  is the cause of that high cost — and that such risk aversion is contrary  to the history not only of aviation but of all transportation and the  exploration of new frontiers. This has profound implications for the  development of commercial transportation in space. Simberg offers an  alternative approach which could lead space transportation to develop  into an industry along the lines of aviation, rather than remaining a  tiny, costly government monopoly.”Robert PooleDirector of Transportation Policy, Reason Foundation.“Mr. Simberg makes the compelling case that great deeds and great  rewards require great risks, but NASA and my colleagues in Congress have  become so risk averse in the arena of human spaceflight that we are  incapable of accomplishing great deeds. America must have the stomach to  let explorers and settlers willfully take on the kinds of risk  necessary for opening the frontier of space to settlement under the rule  of law. If we continue to overvalue that risk, or prohibit those who  would willfully undertake it, then other nations with no respect for  human life will be more than happy to fill that void. Left unchecked,  the well-meaning, but misguided, group that promotes “safety at all  cost” will continue to establish hard ceilings that we can’t break  through, require the expense of immense amounts of time and money, and  will ultimately cost us our preeminence in space. We must not cede the  high ground of space to those who do not believe in freedom. And we must  respect the freedom of those individuals who are willing to put it all  on the line to head over that next hill – even when that hill is in  space. Mr. Simberg’s bookSafe Is Not An Optionhandles this sensitive issue with skill, grace, and tremendous insight.”Rep. Dana RohrabacherVice Chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; and former Chairman of the Space Subcommittee.“My first thought upon reading a draft of Rand’s book was, ‘It’s about  time that someone used common sense when addressing the space safety  subject.’  The biggest difference between NASA in the 60s and the  current NASA is how they deal with risks.  In the 60s, NASA developed  and flew seven new manned space launch systems (Redstone, Atlas, X-15,  Titan, Saturn I, Saturn V and LM). All except X-15 were flown without  fatalities.  In the forty-two years since, only three new systems were  flown, one Chinese, the Space Shuttle and SpaceShipOne.  In spite of new  safety policies, NASA’s Shuttle proved to be the most dangerous way to  fly outside the atmosphere.  In spite of the evidence, NASA still  insists on following the Shuttle model in developing future systems,  which clearly hampers creativity (opportunities for breakthroughs) while  providing no real improvements in safety.I applaud Rand for publishing his important research on the safety  culture.  This book will be referenced widely in the future and will  provide the sanity that is needed while we move ahead with new  technologies.”Burt RutanAircraft And Spacecraft Developer