Things might change if Gerstenmaier bestows his blessing on the SpaceX Starship. If the Space Launch System runs into some of the same problems that other Boeing vehicles, such as the Starliner and the 737-Max have, then with any luck, the SpaceX Starship will be available as a Plan B. Gerstenmaier could serve an invaluable role in selling the Starship, not only to NASA, but to other customers. The United States is not the only country with lunar aspirations. One can imagine the European Space Agency or perhaps the Gulf Arab States leasing a Starship to send an expedition to the lunar surface.Gerstenmaier could serve as the ultimate rainmaker for SpaceX. A rainmaker is usually a senior partner at a law firm whose role is to drum up business by virtue of who he or she knows. Bill Gerstenmaier knows a lot of people, many of who may be willing to spend money to obtain the services that SpaceX has to offer.
QuoteThings might change if Gerstenmaier bestows his blessing on the SpaceX Starship. If the Space Launch System runs into some of the same problems that other Boeing vehicles, such as the Starliner and the 737-Max have, then with any luck, the SpaceX Starship will be available as a Plan B. Gerstenmaier could serve an invaluable role in selling the Starship, not only to NASA, but to other customers. The United States is not the only country with lunar aspirations. One can imagine the European Space Agency or perhaps the Gulf Arab States leasing a Starship to send an expedition to the lunar surface.Gerstenmaier could serve as the ultimate rainmaker for SpaceX. A rainmaker is usually a senior partner at a law firm whose role is to drum up business by virtue of who he or she knows. Bill Gerstenmaier knows a lot of people, many of who may be willing to spend money to obtain the services that SpaceX has to offer.Interesting that the author thinks SpaceX hired Gerstenmaier for his rolodex.Also: oof those reader comments.
Mark Whittington suggests that Gerst's value to SpaceX will be principally in promoting Starship.
I see them (on desktop browser) two places: before the article on the byline, and after the article beneath the "Share" and "Tweet" button (button says "Load Comments(15)" right now.
There are very good reasons for SpaceX to hire Gerst totally unrelated to the fact that he formerly presided over an organization giving government money to SpaceX.But he did preside over an organization giving government money to SpaceX. I think it's improper for him to later get benefits from SpaceX because of that.It's like a lawyer with a case before a judge meeting alone with the judge. There might be perfectly good reasons for that to happen that have nothing to do with the case. But it's still improper. It's important to have a clear rule against such things, to secure against the possibility of corruption, even unconscious corruption.Even if everything with SpaceX and Gerst is innocent, the message it sends to other government employees, intended or not, is corrupting. It says that if they if SpaceX likes them, they can have a huge personal benefit for themselves later.Other big government aerospace contractors have been doing this for decades, and it was wrong then, and it's wrong now for it to be happening with SpaceX.EDIT: Note that I'm not saying this is illegal. I think it is legal. I think the laws on such conduct are insufficient.
Quote from: ChrisWilson68 on 02/18/2020 07:02 pmThere are very good reasons for SpaceX to hire Gerst totally unrelated to the fact that he formerly presided over an organization giving government money to SpaceX.But he did preside over an organization giving government money to SpaceX. I think it's improper for him to later get benefits from SpaceX because of that.It's like a lawyer with a case before a judge meeting alone with the judge. There might be perfectly good reasons for that to happen that have nothing to do with the case. But it's still improper. It's important to have a clear rule against such things, to secure against the possibility of corruption, even unconscious corruption.Even if everything with SpaceX and Gerst is innocent, the message it sends to other government employees, intended or not, is corrupting. It says that if they if SpaceX likes them, they can have a huge personal benefit for themselves later.Other big government aerospace contractors have been doing this for decades, and it was wrong then, and it's wrong now for it to be happening with SpaceX.EDIT: Note that I'm not saying this is illegal. I think it is legal. I think the laws on such conduct are insufficient.NASA works with everyone in aerospace. Are you saying Gerst effectively shouldn't be allowed to pursue a career as a civilian after employment by NASA?
Quote from: abaddon on 02/18/2020 07:34 pmQuote from: ChrisWilson68 on 02/18/2020 07:02 pmThere are very good reasons for SpaceX to hire Gerst totally unrelated to the fact that he formerly presided over an organization giving government money to SpaceX.But he did preside over an organization giving government money to SpaceX. I think it's improper for him to later get benefits from SpaceX because of that.It's like a lawyer with a case before a judge meeting alone with the judge. There might be perfectly good reasons for that to happen that have nothing to do with the case. But it's still improper. It's important to have a clear rule against such things, to secure against the possibility of corruption, even unconscious corruption.Even if everything with SpaceX and Gerst is innocent, the message it sends to other government employees, intended or not, is corrupting. It says that if they if SpaceX likes them, they can have a huge personal benefit for themselves later.Other big government aerospace contractors have been doing this for decades, and it was wrong then, and it's wrong now for it to be happening with SpaceX.EDIT: Note that I'm not saying this is illegal. I think it is legal. I think the laws on such conduct are insufficient.NASA works with everyone in aerospace. Are you saying Gerst effectively shouldn't be allowed to pursue a career as a civilian after employment by NASA?Gerst's experience leading a large, highly-visible organization would be highly valuable to a huge number of companies in a huge number of industries.When someone has a highly-successful career in the military, their prospects after leaving the service are not limited to defense contractors. Many of them go on to highly-successful careers in every sort of industry.Good leadership is valuable everywhere.
So you think it's fine to exclude someone like him from an entire industry, got it.Yeah... can't agree with that, at all. Shrug.
Title 5: Administrative PersonnelPART 2641—POST-EMPLOYMENT CONFLICT OF INTEREST RESTRICTIONSContentsSubpart A—General Provisions§2641.101 Purpose.§2641.102 Applicability.§2641.103 Enforcement and penalties.§2641.104 Definitions.§2641.105 Advice.§2641.106 Applicability of certain provisions to Vice President.Subpart B—Prohibitions§2641.201 Permanent restriction on any former employee's representations to United States concerning particular matter in which the employee participated personally and substantially.§2641.202 Two-year restriction on any former employee's representations to United States concerning particular matter for which the employee had official responsibility.§2641.203 One-year restriction on any former employee's representations, aid, or advice concerning ongoing trade or treaty negotiation.§2641.204 One-year restriction on any former senior employee's representations to former agency concerning any matter, regardless of prior involvement.§2641.205 Two-year restriction on any former very senior employee's representations to former agency or certain officials concerning any matter, regardless of prior involvement.§2641.206 One-year restriction on any former senior or very senior employee's representations on behalf of, or aid or advice to, a foreign entity.§2641.207 One-year restriction on any former private sector assignee under the Information Technology Exchange Program representing, aiding, counseling or assisting in representing in connection with any contract with former agency.>
Quote from: abaddon on 02/18/2020 07:48 pmSo you think it's fine to exclude someone like him from an entire industry, got it.Yeah... can't agree with that, at all. Shrug.That's the price of taking a government job, going out on a limb to defend SpaceX from scrutiny, get reassigned and then magically SpaceX starts hitting their timeline again.It's not only improper for Gerstenmaier to go work for SpaceX, it's abundantly clear that he has been actively shielding SpaceX for years and slowing down the start of commercial crew services. It's fair to assume that his job at SpaceX will involve doing the same.Pathological risk reduction.
That's the price of taking a government job, going out on a limb to defend SpaceX from scrutiny, get reassigned and then magically SpaceX starts hitting their timeline again.It's not only improper for Gerstenmaier to go work for SpaceX, it's abundantly clear that he has been actively shielding SpaceX for years and slowing down the start of commercial crew services. It's fair to assume that his job at SpaceX will involve doing the same.Pathological risk reduction.
