Mr Baumgartner’s commercial sponsor for his recent leap was Red Bull. We here on the Reg space desk don’t drink a whole lot of Red Bull anyway, but as long as Baumgartner remains connected with the firm we shall drink none, and we encourage our readers to adopt a similar stance. (Unless maybe he offers a complete retraction of his words.)
This is because we are sick of the blinkered attitude which always seeks to divert space exploration money – which is in any event only a tiny proportion of the US or any other government’s spending – to this or that hobbyhorse. Baumgartner presumably wants to see NASA’s budget (and with it that of the ESA etc) diverted into renewable power subsidies or some such money-pit: others depending on their politics have often pushed the idea of channelling space cash towards minuscule improvements to benefits, minuscule tax cuts or other such pointless ends.
via Felix Baumgartner sadly turns out to be blinkered FOOL • The Register.