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Hallelujah! Let NASA do the exploring, but once explored, let commerce determine its value for development.
I actually agree somewhat. NASA needs to get back to its roots - which is to be on the cutting edge of figuring out technology. NASAs craft should be experimental, not come off an assembly line.
The more I read of Constellation, the happier I am to see it gone. What a kludge.
Any possibility for continued manned space exploration died on January 4, 1970 when Richard Nixon cancelled Apollo 18, 19, and 20. Since that time, no President or Congress has committed the resources required to go beyond earth orbit.
When SEI was announced by G.H.W. Bush, it was stated that it would cost $500 billion to go to Mars and take 30 years. It went unfunded, and eventually just disappeared.
When the VSE was announced in 2004, it was stated that there would be the development of a new crewed vehicle, trip to the moon by 2020, and Mars after that - all paid for by the "savings" that would result after the retirement of the shuttle in 2010. Shuttle costs barely kept an existing program alive, and in no way could support a fraction of the cost of an exploration program. Without some major engineering breakthrough, inflation alone raises the SEI Mars cost to over $800 billion, or 100 times the yearly shuttle budget!
In my opinion, VSE was nothing more than kicking the can down the road: political cover for canceling the only US manned space vehicle while (on paper) developing a new vehicle. It was brilliant politically, because it left the mess to the next Administration, which was in a no-win situation, as chances of success were slim to none within the limited budgets of 2006 thru 2010.
While I do support our space program, I understand we are not in a position to spend Billions into going a back to the moon at this time. I would add that I find it interesting that the same people that whine about us spending money we do not have on programs for our citizens and nation are outraged that the President wants to keep from spending Billions more, hmmmmmm
Casper
When the VSE was announced in 2004, it was stated that there would be the development of a new crewed vehicle, trip to the moon by 2020, and Mars after that - all paid for by the "savings" that would result after the retirement of the shuttle in 2010.
Do I recall correctly that the 2004 budget also involved deorbiting the ISS?
Quote:
It was brilliant politically, because it left the mess to the next Administration, which was in a no-win situation, as chances of success were slim to none within the limited budgets of 2006 thru 2010.
Do I recall correctly that the 2004 budget also involved deorbiting the ISS?
I sense a pattern...
Oh yeah, I forgot, per the plan the ISS would be deorbited by 2015 and the cost savings rolled into VSE, thereby leaving no US astronauts in orbit at all.
Obama did an about-face. Surprising? Of course not.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Moose Whisperer
Obama Likes to think of himself as JFK - what a joke. JFK actually had a vision of something greater for the US to shoot for. It's sadly ironic that Obama is cutting that same program to prove that he is nothing but a petty political hack.
Be sure to tell that to your son or daughter the day they start looking for inspiration to be an astronaut when contemplating going to college. "Study real hard Johnny, maybe some day you can hitch a ride on a Russian rocket".
Do you really, seriously, think that the space program is going to end, simply because this 50 year old design, aging shuttle fleet has been retired?
From the begging, these crafts only had limited useful operating hours...it was always known they would be retired someday, actually, most have flown far and beyond their intended number of missions...
Johnny, if he still wants to go to the moon, or explore space, simply has to go to Boeings site, and other engineering firms, and view the next up and coming, more modern, cheaper to operate, space vehicles...
I almost want to say 'duh'...but won't...
It's like people saying the world is coming to an end, cause the Model T Ford was scraped, for more efficient designs...
The Shuttles are like old out dated milk cartons, that needed to go...
If he really wanted to create greatness for the US, throw a couple hundred billion at NASA. That would create a boom of high tech, high paying jobs, and give us something we could all be proud of again at the same time.
May as well throw a few billion dollars at the TSA also, would create plenty more airport screener jobs...or throw some billions at the DOT...
Oh, and can't forget Home Land Security...I'm sure they're down to receiving a few billion dollars, so they too can hire more people...
TSA- Transportation Security Administration
DOT- Department of Transportation
Be sure to tell that to your son or daughter the day they start looking for inspiration to be an astronaut when contemplating going to college. "Study real hard Johnny, maybe some day you can hitch a ride on a Russian rocket".
If that what it takes to get into out space then so be it.
You also totally discount commercial spacecraft development that is taking place in the United States.
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Obama did an about-face. Surprising? Of course not.
