Is NASA Expanding Its Role in Military and Legal Affairs?

[Nommos Prime (Dogon)]

Is NASA “widening” their scope of influence into issues of law and order?
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,8589222%255E1702,00.html

 

[Shahil]

It is a good thing though right?

 

[russ_watters]

I guess its good cooperation, but that's really the FBI's job.

 

[LURCH]

But image enhancement is a specialty of NASA's. And besides, it appears to have worked, they've got the guy.

 

[Nommos Prime (Dogon)]

A Can of Worms...

Yeh, but it opens up a huge can of worms, doesn't it?

I wonder if NASA could suss-out intelligence photos of "supposed" weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? NASA does it for a SINGLE kidnapped person? Why not to spare a nation?

Also, what about the legal ramifications?
I wonder how one would go about Subpoenaing NASA in court?

 

[russ_watters]

Originally posted by Nommos Prime (Dogon)
Also, what about the legal ramifications?
I wonder how one would go about Subpoenaing NASA in court?

Same way you subpoena any member of any other government agency. I don't see the issue.

 

[Nereid]

Originally posted by LURCH
But image enhancement is a specialty of NASA's. And besides, it appears to have worked, they've got the guy.

Sadly, he killed the girl first.

Interesting question - what does NASA have that's not in the public domain? Their image processing algorithms are all (?) published in peer-reviewed journals. Their hardware can be bought from Sun, IBM, HP, ... and the configurations are also in the public domain.

Could it be that they only (!) have engineers with many years of experience? Perhaps folk who are near retirement?

Question for Dogon: what does NASA have which isn't in the public domain? Detailed HR records don't count, nor do internal emails or patents.

 

[Nommos Prime (Dogon)]

The "Fringe" Stuff

Posted by Nereid;
“Question for Dogon: what does NASA have which isn’t in the public domain? Detailed HR record don’t count, nor do internal emails or patents.”
For starters – Artificial Intelligence (AI);
http://www-aig.jpl.nasa.gov/public/planning/aspen/aspen_index.html
(Warning; Don’t try and download anything from this site).

Antigravity is constantly being developed;
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/6583/project003.html

The official party-line;
NASA’s “Technology Transfer” program;
http://www.cfda.gov/public/viewprog.asp?progid=720

 

[Nereid]

Thanks Dogon.

1st link: OK, some stuff is only available under licence, and I fess up - I forgot about the US export caveats. However, if you're in the US ...

2nd link: dead; what did it say?

3rd link: which parts of the party line aren't being implemented in practice?

 

[russ_watters]

That's pretty thin: the first link is in the public domain. The second is just artificial gravity speculation - not relevant to the question. And the third link is a policy. So...

 

[Nereid]

Originally posted by russ_watters
That's pretty thin: the first link is in the public domain. The second is just artificial gravity speculation - not relevant to the question. And the third link is a policy. So...

In terms of my original post, maybe it's a touch pedantic; in terms of Dogon's, Moni's, KL's, etc ability to actually get hold of NASA stuff, the US export restriction is very real; there's stuff that simply isn't available to them.

 

[Phobos]

What's sad is that the FBI, etc. does not have this technical capability already. Otherwise, no problem having NASA help out...as long as the FBI footed the bill.

Originally posted by Nereid
what does NASA have which isn't in the public domain?

Only the info re: military payloads.

 

[Nereid]

Yeah, and encryption technology (tho I'm not sure how much is NASA's; it's certainly not NASA's problem alone), and ...

 

[Nommos Prime (Dogon)]

Military Payloads & The Shuttle

Posted by Phobos;
"Only the info re: military payloads."

You are right. I am very happy that you made the connection "NASA - Military". I've been tracking covert military satellite launches with other amateurs for years.
I would contend that most Space Shuttle Missions (in Earth orbit)deploy at least one military piece of "hardware".