NASA has done it before. After initially going metric in the 70s (I was running
various training classes in all the NASA centers subsequently) they reverted
instantaneously to I-P after one of the space disasters with loss of life.
("Our engineers can work safer in I-P.") Four years later cool heads prevailed
and NASA was thinking about going back. It called a conference of their
suppliers and had them present how much it would cost to go back to metric. It
was interesting for me, knowing some of the companies, that those that had
experience with metric showed a reasonable amount, even almost zero, while
others were doubling their costs obviously trying to make money or simply not
knowing and guessing on the safe side. Foreign companies were involved also. No
conclusion was drawn from this conference and no directive issued for years, if
ever. The interesting thing for me was to notice that NASA did not ask 4 years
earlier how much would it cost to go from metric to I-P. Apparently the
companies ate that cost being too small to bather. Anyway, without a binding
directive some suppliers went metric, some not, and, of course, the foreign
suppliers worked metrically. This indecision resulted in numerous little
disasters, well hidden, except those too big to hide, such as the Mars orbiter
- $125 million was admitted as we all read.
So much for the hope that the democrats will be pro-metric.
Stan Jakuba
----- Original Message -----
From: Bill Potts
To: U.S. Metric Association
Sent: 09 May 29, Friday 20:05
Subject: [USMA:45127] Re: NASA Going English
They're out of their cotton-picking minds -- and at a time when it would be a
good strategy to cooperate with the Russians, the British and the French on the
hardware.
Bill
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Potts
WFP Consulting
Roseville, CA
http://metric1.org [SI Navigator]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: owner-u...@colostate.edu [mailto:owner-u...@colostate.edu] On Behalf
Of ezra.steinb...@comcast.net
Sent: Friday, May 29, 2009 16:20
To: U.S. Metric Association
Cc: U.S. Metric Association
Subject: [USMA:45125] Re: NASA Going English
So, this is the "change we need"? Back to the 19th century????
----- Original Message -----
From: "John M. Steele" <jmsteele9...@sbcglobal.net>
To: "U.S. Metric Association" <usma@colostate.edu>
Sent: Friday, May 29, 2009 4:11:49 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific
Subject: [USMA:45124] NASA Going English
Unbelievable.
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=31353
Quoted from link:
Subject: New Management Directive on Units
All,
You've all heard the news that we're going back to English as the
primary unit of measure. Attached is the draft Management Directive. We're
planning on bring this MD to the CxCB on 6/5/09. Please let me know if you have
any issues.
