Author Topic: Spacehab to cut 15-20 percent work force  (Read 12358 times)

Offline Jim

  • Night Gator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 37811
  • Cape Canaveral Spaceport
  • Liked: 22031
  • Likes Given: 430
RE: Spacehab to cut 15-20 percent work force
« Reply #20 on: 01/20/2007 03:02 pm »
Quote
MATTBLAK - 19/1/2007  10:19 PM
If SpaceHab goes, then their expertise and tooling could be hired and bought by other companies, to exist in other forms. .

They never had it.  They had other people design and built their hardware.

Spacehab modules were designed by McDonnell Douglas and built by Alenia and out fitted by McDonnell Douglas.

ICC was designed by Astrium and built by RSC Energia and Astrium

Offline MATTBLAK

  • Elite Veteran & 'J.A.F.A'
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5361
  • 'Space Cadets' Let us; UNITE!! (crickets chirping)
  • New Zealand
  • Liked: 2239
  • Likes Given: 3883
RE: Spacehab to cut 15-20 percent work force
« Reply #21 on: 01/20/2007 08:33 pm »
Then for all the reasons you mentioned, the designs or evolvements of them could possibly continue in the future, if needed. Thanks, Jim. :)
"Those who can't, Blog".   'Space Cadets' of the World - Let us UNITE!! (crickets chirping)

Offline Jim

  • Night Gator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 37811
  • Cape Canaveral Spaceport
  • Liked: 22031
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: Spacehab to cut 15-20 percent work force
« Reply #22 on: 01/20/2007 09:48 pm »
BTW, Alenia made the Spacelab, MPLM, and Node 2/3 shells

Offline wingod

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1305
  • Liked: 3
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Spacehab to cut 15-20 percent work force
« Reply #23 on: 01/21/2007 08:47 pm »
Quote
Jim - 20/1/2007  9:48 AM

Quote
marsavian - 19/1/2007  11:18 PM

Quote
Jim - 19/1/2007  6:16 PM

No APEX.  No one left to work it.  They cut 8-9 VP's.  Only ones remaining are in charge of the only revenue streams, Astrotech and SGS.  The other is a caretaker to close out the module program.  No R&D people,

I think we can file this one under your usual anti-SPACEHAB FUD like when you claimed they wouldn't be able to use their own module recently without any evidence apart from the fact you weren't working with them anymore ;-). The majority of SFS staff have been retained and you were always complaining about their top-heavy management structure so for you to point to this as evidence of more incapability just shows the inconsistency and subjectivity of your arguments. The other people let go were mainly in IT and HR which again are not key personnel. Apex can still be built if there is a management directive to do so. We will know more as the year unfolds at the CCs and how the personnel structure looks after STS-118 is completed.  Today however is too early to be writing traditional Spacehab's obituary and the cuts only make it more leaner and more likely to survive.

Did you talk to anyone other than a PR person, who gives you the same BS that Kimberly spewed.   I talked to the insiders and some of the laid off people.  It is just Astrotech and SGS.  The remaining are just there to fly out the last module.  There weren't 25 Hr and IT people in the company.  The same top heavy management is what conceived APEX.  Now there is no champion for it.  Not even a program manager

Look who is the Executive VP, a position that didn't exist before.  An Astrotech person.  That is the face of the company, not space hardware

It will survive, but as Astrotech and maybe SGS.

Jim

Don't count your dead horses before they are hatched.  :)

The new management is not stupid and knows that STS is a dead end business model, something the previous guys did not figure out.

There is a lot that I can't say (I was at SPAB two days last week), but I can say that the business is not dead.


Offline Jim

  • Night Gator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 37811
  • Cape Canaveral Spaceport
  • Liked: 22031
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: Spacehab to cut 15-20 percent work force
« Reply #24 on: 01/21/2007 08:55 pm »
that's what I said.  It will survive but as Astrotech.  They can't do anything without a lot of cash infusion and who is going to do that for a company that hasn't produced in the past

Offline wingod

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1305
  • Liked: 3
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Spacehab to cut 15-20 percent work force
« Reply #25 on: 01/21/2007 09:01 pm »
Quote
Jim - 21/1/2007  3:55 PM

that's what I said.  It will survive but as Astrotech.  They can't do anything without a lot of cash infusion and who is going to do that for a company that hasn't produced in the past

Jim

Frankly you have no clue about what is happening in that company today.  I have been working with the new guys for over nine months and I can state with certainty that you don't know what is happening there.


Offline Jim

  • Night Gator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 37811
  • Cape Canaveral Spaceport
  • Liked: 22031
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: Spacehab to cut 15-20 percent work force
« Reply #26 on: 01/21/2007 09:08 pm »
It doesn't matter what designs they come up with.   Same thing, just different faces.   No customers/users, no bucks.   No bucks, no buck rogers.

Enterprise, inflatable tunnels, module based architecture, APEX, etc.  Who are the customers?

New guys?  No one is left to champion their efforts.  The new Exec VP is a facility manager.

Offline wingod

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1305
  • Liked: 3
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Spacehab to cut 15-20 percent work force
« Reply #27 on: 01/21/2007 09:10 pm »
Quote
Jim - 21/1/2007  4:08 PM

It doesn't matter what designs they come up with.   Same thing, just different faces.   No customers/users, no bucks.   No bucks, no buck rogers.

Enterprise, inflatable tunnels, module based architecture, APEX, etc.  Who are the customers?

New guys?  No one is left to champion their efforts.  The new Exec VP is a facility manager.

Again, your response just illustrates that you don't know what is happening inside the company with the new management and their direction, money, or people.

At this time I simply cannot say more.  It will more than likely all become clear soon.


Offline Jim

  • Night Gator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 37811
  • Cape Canaveral Spaceport
  • Liked: 22031
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: Spacehab to cut 15-20 percent work force
« Reply #28 on: 01/21/2007 09:21 pm »
Quote
wingod - 21/1/2007  5:10 PM

Quote
Jim - 21/1/2007  4:08 PM

It doesn't matter what designs they come up with.   Same thing, just different faces.   No customers/users, no bucks.   No bucks, no buck rogers.

Enterprise, inflatable tunnels, module based architecture, APEX, etc.  Who are the customers?

New guys?  No one is left to champion their efforts.  The new Exec VP is a facility manager.

Again, your response just illustrates that you don't know what is happening inside the company with the new management and their direction, money, or people.

At this time I simply cannot say more.  It will more than likely all become clear soon.


It is not clear to the current rank and file and they are bailing out.

Offline wingod

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1305
  • Liked: 3
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Spacehab to cut 15-20 percent work force
« Reply #29 on: 01/21/2007 10:25 pm »
Quote
Jim - 21/1/2007  4:21 PM

Quote
wingod - 21/1/2007  5:10 PM

Quote
Jim - 21/1/2007  4:08 PM

It doesn't matter what designs they come up with.   Same thing, just different faces.   No customers/users, no bucks.   No bucks, no buck rogers.

Enterprise, inflatable tunnels, module based architecture, APEX, etc.  Who are the customers?

New guys?  No one is left to champion their efforts.  The new Exec VP is a facility manager.

Again, your response just illustrates that you don't know what is happening inside the company with the new management and their direction, money, or people.

At this time I simply cannot say more.  It will more than likely all become clear soon.


It is not clear to the current rank and file and they are bailing out.

There are a lot of things not clear until they happen.  It may be that they need to ask the new management rather than depend on outsiders who don't know what is going on.


Offline marsavian

  • Elite Veteran
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3216
  • Liked: 2
  • Likes Given: 3
Re: Spacehab to cut 15-20 percent work force
« Reply #30 on: 01/22/2007 02:03 pm »
Quote
Jim - 20/1/2007  9:48 AM

Quote
marsavian - 19/1/2007  11:18 PM

Quote
Jim - 19/1/2007  6:16 PM

No APEX.  No one left to work it.  They cut 8-9 VP's.  Only ones remaining are in charge of the only revenue streams, Astrotech and SGS.  The other is a caretaker to close out the module program.  No R&D people,

I think we can file this one under your usual anti-SPACEHAB FUD like when you claimed they wouldn't be able to use their own module recently without any evidence apart from the fact you weren't working with them anymore ;-). The majority of SFS staff have been retained and you were always complaining about their top-heavy management structure so for you to point to this as evidence of more incapability just shows the inconsistency and subjectivity of your arguments. The other people let go were mainly in IT and HR which again are not key personnel. Apex can still be built if there is a management directive to do so. We will know more as the year unfolds at the CCs and how the personnel structure looks after STS-118 is completed.  Today however is too early to be writing traditional Spacehab's obituary and the cuts only make it more leaner and more likely to survive.

Did you talk to anyone other than a PR person, who gives you the same BS that Kimberly spewed.   I talked to the insiders and some of the laid off people.  It is just Astrotech and SGS.  The remaining are just there to fly out the last module.  There weren't 25 Hr and IT people in the company.  The same top heavy management is what conceived APEX.  Now there is no champion for it.  Not even a program manager

Look who is the Executive VP, a position that didn't exist before.  An Astrotech person.  That is the face of the company, not space hardware

It will survive, but as Astrotech and maybe SGS.

You're wrong Jim. The Vice-President in charge of Apex, Jim Baker, is still with the company. For those who want to hear more about Spacehab and Apex here's an 80min interview he did last August.

http://www.thespaceshow.com/detail.asp?q=537

Offline marsavian

  • Elite Veteran
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3216
  • Liked: 2
  • Likes Given: 3
Re: Spacehab to cut 15-20 percent work force
« Reply #31 on: 01/22/2007 02:37 pm »
Quote
Jim - 21/1/2007  4:08 PM

It doesn't matter what designs they come up with.   Same thing, just different faces.   No customers/users, no bucks.   No bucks, no buck rogers.

Enterprise, inflatable tunnels, module based architecture, APEX, etc.  Who are the customers?

New guys?  No one is left to champion their efforts.  The new Exec VP is a facility manager.

There is pent up demand for cheap and returnable access to Space. Customers have open cheque books ready but no-one can satisfy the demand yet. Spacehab don't have to build a successful launcher like RPK or SpaceX so they have a head start on these guys plus the Apex comes in all sizes to suit all payloads and prices as well as being designed to launch on any launcher, even the CLV ;-).  They also now have a CEO whose family is as rich as any other New Space company so funding/loans should not be a problem if required.

Offline Jim

  • Night Gator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 37811
  • Cape Canaveral Spaceport
  • Liked: 22031
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: Spacehab to cut 15-20 percent work force
« Reply #32 on: 01/22/2007 03:20 pm »
Quote
marsavian - 22/1/2007  10:37 AM

Quote
Jim - 21/1/2007  4:08 PM

It doesn't matter what designs they come up with.   Same thing, just different faces.   No customers/users, no bucks.   No bucks, no buck rogers.

Enterprise, inflatable tunnels, module based architecture, APEX, etc.  Who are the customers?

New guys?  No one is left to champion their efforts.  The new Exec VP is a facility manager.

There is pent up demand for cheap and returnable access to Space.

There is no commercial demand for "returnable" outside of returning crew (space tourism).  

If Spacehab is looking to NASA again as the customer, then they will be in the same shape as they are now.  NASA is funding enough avenues (STS, Spacex, RPK, CEV, etc) for  returning hardware from the ISS.

Offline marsavian

  • Elite Veteran
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3216
  • Liked: 2
  • Likes Given: 3
Re: Spacehab to cut 15-20 percent work force
« Reply #33 on: 01/22/2007 03:49 pm »
Quote
Jim - 22/1/2007  10:20 AM

Quote
marsavian - 22/1/2007  10:37 AM

Quote
Jim - 21/1/2007  4:08 PM

It doesn't matter what designs they come up with.   Same thing, just different faces.   No customers/users, no bucks.   No bucks, no buck rogers.

Enterprise, inflatable tunnels, module based architecture, APEX, etc.  Who are the customers?

New guys?  No one is left to champion their efforts.  The new Exec VP is a facility manager.

There is pent up demand for cheap and returnable access to Space.

There is no commercial demand for "returnable" outside of returning crew (space tourism).  

If Spacehab is looking to NASA again as the customer, then they will be in the same shape as they are now.  NASA is funding enough avenues (STS, Spacex, RPK, CEV, etc) for  returning hardware from the ISS.

I wouldn't be so sure, that interviewer was trying to fix him up with a desperate scientific experiment customer in that interview I just linked ;-).

Offline Jim

  • Night Gator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 37811
  • Cape Canaveral Spaceport
  • Liked: 22031
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: Spacehab to cut 15-20 percent work force
« Reply #34 on: 01/22/2007 05:05 pm »
Quote
marsavian - 22/1/2007  11:49 AM

I wouldn't be so sure, that interviewer was trying to fix him up with a desperate scientific experiment customer in that interview I just linked ;-).

Desperate equates to no money.   There are hundreds of "payloads/experiments" wanting to fly and they all want free rides and even money to develop their experiments.  There are very few viable experiments and they are already flying or scheduled to.  look at the number of "commercial" payloads/experiments that flew on Spacehabs, less that a handful on 15 flights.  All the rest were NASA sponsored.  And...... some even have to be coax into flying certain flights to help full up the module

Offline wingod

  • Full Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 1305
  • Liked: 3
  • Likes Given: 0
Re: Spacehab to cut 15-20 percent work force
« Reply #35 on: 01/22/2007 05:12 pm »
Quote
Jim - 22/1/2007  12:05 PM

Quote
marsavian - 22/1/2007  11:49 AM

I wouldn't be so sure, that interviewer was trying to fix him up with a desperate scientific experiment customer in that interview I just linked ;-).

Desperate equates to no money.   There are hundreds of "payloads/experiments" wanting to fly and they all want free rides and even money to develop their experiments.  There are very few viable experiments and they are already flying or scheduled to.  look at the number of "commercial" payloads/experiments that flew on Spacehabs, less that a handful on 15 flights.  All the rest were NASA sponsored.  And...... some even have to be coax into flying certain flights to help full up the module

I have to agree with Jim here.  The vast majority of microgravity payloads were NASA sponsored, but only after the industry pulled out in the 1980's after Challenger.  3M was really wanting to get into the biz but the lack of rapid access to space for payloads up and down was the show stopper for them.  If Kistler or SpaceX were able to solve that problem then there would be a new push by industry to get involved in microgravity.  However, I will also agree with something Jim said in the past that microgravity is not going to be the big money maker for SH in the future no matter what they do, at least for several years.

Also, Jim you need to be aware that Marsavian is cross linking these threads to the yahoo.com SPAB message board.  Warning to any who read this from there.  Nothing said here is to be construed to mean ANYTHING related to what the new management of the company is actually doing.  I have been very careful in this regard and no one should purchase SPAB stock based on what I, Jim, or anyone else says on this board.


Offline marsavian

  • Elite Veteran
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3216
  • Liked: 2
  • Likes Given: 3
Re: Spacehab to cut 15-20 percent work force
« Reply #36 on: 01/22/2007 05:24 pm »
Jim also hangs out there spreading gloom and doom and grinding his axe  as mi2also ;-).

Offline Danderman

  • Extreme Veteran
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10300
  • Liked: 706
  • Likes Given: 727
Re: Spacehab to cut 15-20 percent work force
« Reply #37 on: 01/22/2007 05:31 pm »
I am sure that APEX would make a wonderful downmass solution for ISS in the post-Shuttle, pre-CEV time frame.


Offline Jim

  • Night Gator
  • Senior Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 37811
  • Cape Canaveral Spaceport
  • Liked: 22031
  • Likes Given: 430
Re: Spacehab to cut 15-20 percent work force
« Reply #38 on: 01/22/2007 05:58 pm »
Quote
marsavian - 22/1/2007  1:24 PM

Jim also hangs out there spreading gloom and doom and grinding his axe  as mi2also ;-).

Haven't been wrong yet

Tags:
 

Advertisement NovaTech
Advertisement Northrop Grumman
Advertisement
Advertisement Margaritaville Beach Resort South Padre Island
Advertisement Brady Kenniston
Advertisement NextSpaceflight
Advertisement Nathan Barker Photography
1