Words Can't Express My Disappointment

[dedleytedley]

Well it looks like President Obama is going to kill the Ares program, the Shuttle program and any human space exploration for at least a decade!:y: With the resurgence in model rocketry children are showing their interest in space and the future. A million young dreams will die due to this terrible decision. Ted

 

[thomcat00]

Just read about it here:

https://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-nasa-budget27-2010jan27,0,1252176.story

And with the last line of the article stating "the White House planned to extend the life of the International Space Station to at least 2020," and the Shuttle program is closed out and no Ares V, is NASA going to rely on Soyuz to ferry astronauts, equipment and supplies to the ISS? Why not just turn over the keys now and ask them to turn out the lights when they're done? What a sad error in judgement!

 

[shreadvector]

Why do all the posters hate and/or dismiss Dr. Buzz Aldrin???

https://buzzaldrin.com/

https://buzzaldrin.com/space-vision/

https://buzzaldrin.com/space-vision/advocacy/unified-space-vision/

:confused2:

 

[dedleytedley]

I neither hate or dismiss Buzz. I especially like his right cross! Ted

 

[thomcat00]

Who hates Buzz? If the Administration allocates $$$ to existing systems and vehicles to handle launches, etc, I gues I can live w/o Ares, provided there is a long term plan to get humans in space in a meaningful way - not one-off billionaire amusement rides on antiquated technology or just 5 minutes of weightlessness in near space. If the big banks can get an emergency allocation of tens of billions of dollars, and repay it in short order, the money is there to invest in our future.

 

[WillMarchant]

Other reports claim that there will be significant (i.e. billions of dollars) added to NASA budget to buy commercial human launching. *If* true, then Soyuz would be the only game in town for the next five to ten years unless the Chinese finish their ISS compatible docking fixture. But then one could hope for a robust USA commercial human spaceflight capability to LEO.

Just read about it here:

https://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-nasa-budget27-2010jan27,0,1252176.story

And with the last line of the article stating "the White House planned to extend the life of the International Space Station to at least 2020," and the Shuttle program is closed out and no Ares V, is NASA going to rely on Soyuz to ferry astronauts, equipment and supplies to the ISS? Why not just turn over the keys now and ask them to turn out the lights when they're done? What a sad error in judgement!

 

[o1d_dude]

This can be permanent only if we the voters stand for it.

Vote your conscience in 2012. I surely will.

 

[WillMarchant]

There is a difference between discussing space policy and devolving down into political mudslinging. Rational discussion of space policy is OK, in my mind. Political rants are not. So, PLEASE, keep this to a discussion of policy and avoid the tantrum temptation.

 

[Peartree]

Take a deep breath and remember...

History has shown that what the President wants, and what the Congress will allow are completely different animals.

 

[tbzep]

Take a deep breath and remember...

History has shown that what the President wants, and what the Congress will allow are completely different animals.

Not so much when the president and the majority are the same party, though.

 

[H_Rocket]

And it all comes down to looking in our billfolds and deciding if we want to pay for it.

 

[MysticalRockets]

Why do all the posters hate and/or dismiss Dr. Buzz Aldrin???

Why would anybody hate Buzz? After all, he's a Space Ranger, isn't he? And he like to go to 'Infinity and Beyond!"

Wait... wrong Buzz.

My bad.

 

[n5wd]

Other reports claim that there will be significant (i.e. billions of dollars) added to NASA budget to buy commercial human launching. *If* true, then Soyuz would be the only game in town for the next five to ten years unless the Chinese finish their ISS compatible docking fixture.

Are you discounting the possibility that Space-X will be ready to start flying their COTS contract flights to Station sooner than that?

 

[JoeLaunchman]

No one should be surprised by this, the current administration is proposing to follow the recommendations of the Review of Human Space Flight Plans Committee. Their 12 page final report is available on NASA's website:

https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/384767main_SUMMARY REPORT - FINAL.pdf

The Committee concluded last year that NASA's budget is $3 billion/yr. short to pursue Project Constellation and fulfill other obligations. That seems like a small amount considering the size of the bailouts and stimulus we've been reading about but that's a political question.

btw, I saw Buzz Aldrin at a book signing last year and he advocated bypassing a return to the Moon in favor of going directly for a manned Mars mission, on a longer time frame.

 

[stantonjtroy]

I would like to point out three things.
1) Presidential policy lasts only as long as the president that forms it and the sitting president has only two years left that he can bank on for sure.
2) Though the president leads the country, Congress runs it. Of the people By the people unless the people give it up.
3) Even if the program is shut down (short or long term) the hardware thus developed and data thus gathered will not suddenly dissapear. Have a little faith in the course of human developement.

 

[Boosterdude]

What's the difference between announcing a new moon program and never funding it, or killing the under funded moon program? Sorry, but in my opinion the last admin and the current admin have not been good for the space program.

We all want the return to the Apollo days, but I doubt it's ever going to happen...sad!

 

[shrox]

The Obama administration has committed 8 billion dollars to high speed rail. I think it's a good move.

As far as space, I think that it is time to depend on private industry to pick up the ball. It's been almost 50 years since man first entered space and returned, most of the government dependent major advancements that translated into public use took much less time to be integrated into the private sector.

 

[JRThro]

Are you discounting the possibility that Space-X will be ready to start flying their COTS contract flights to Station sooner than that?

The first SpaceX Dragon test flight is later this year. And cargo flights to the ISS as soon as next year, IIRC.

 

[shrox]

If you've got the bucks, I've got the Buck Rogers...

 

[Winston]

What's the difference between announcing a new moon program and never funding it, or killing the under funded moon program?

Exactly.

We all want the return to the Apollo days, but I doubt it's ever going to happen...sad!

Only if it was a true return to those days when the technological envelope was pushed to the extreme in every direction rather than a "use what you have on the shelf with mods" sort of thing. Of far more practical value than actually getting to the moon with Apollo were the many technologies developed to get there.

 

[Winston]

As far as space, I think that it is time to depend on private industry to pick up the ball.

I agree and I'd like most of NASA's budget dedicated to unmanned probes and landers which provide far more value on the dollar than manned missions while developing technologies like robotics and AI that are highly useful here on Earth, too.

 

[dlb]

Calling Sir Richard Branson!

step it up, guy!

 

[cwbullet]

I think it is time to start a civilian based space program.

 

[shrox]

Calling Sir Richard Branson!

step it up, guy!

What about me!?

 

[WillMarchant]

Are you discounting the possibility that Space-X will be ready to start flying their COTS contract flights to Station sooner than that?

They're planning flights in March, April, and July. I'll keep my fingers crossed and I wish them the best of luck.

 

[bobkrech]

A number of aerospace professionals believe that the Ares rocket is neither the best or least expensive launch vehicle for future manned launches. Rather than develop yet another 25-35 ton launch vehicle, these folks advocate man-rating the existing the Delta IV and/or the Atlas V launch vehicles.

NASA commissioned the Aerospace Corporation to conduct a cost benefit analysis of man-rating the Delta IV versus the Ares I launch vehicle and the results indicate that a man-rated Delta IV is a more cost effective solution. https://www.nasa.gov/pdf/377875main_081109 Human Rated Delta IV.pdf

Conclusions from the report (pg 49) state that it is technically feasible to convert the Delta IV to a man-rated Orion LV, and has significantly greater payload capacity than Ares I, and that it would no more expensive and probably less expensive than Ares-I for ISS resupply missions (pg. 51).

Whether you agree or diagree with the conclusions, it's an interesting read.

Bob

 

[shrox]

...man-rating the existing the Delta IV and/or the Atlas V launch vehicles...

We have done that before! The Mercury and Gemini capsules were launched on converted missiles.

 

[dlb]

one step forward and two steps back.

 

[SCE to AUX]

Even if we were to man-rate a Delta IV or Atlas V booster, we still wouldn't have a spacecraft to put on top of it. If the Constellation program is being killed, the Orion CEV goes with it, no?

 

[evil ed]

the hardware thus developed and data thus gathered will not suddenly dissapear.

Saturn V, Saturn 1b, Dyna Soar, MOL.........