We’re returning human spaceflight launches to America.

NASA via Twitter Account ^ | 09/16/14

[GeronL]

We can replace runways with giant painted targets on the ground!

lol

[Vermont Lt]

I dont think there were dozens of trips to Mars. And the ones we sent were pretty economical.

I loved the space program when I was a kid. Back in the days when you could name the astronauts like they were your favorite baseball players.

Little nerds everywhere were inspired.

[henkster]

You’re right. Let’s invest in social programs here on earth. We get so much more out of them, by like “helping people” and stuff.

[napscoordinator]

I find it a horrible decision. Can we wait until we stop spending a trillion dollars a year over budget? Oh I am sorry, I hear that we only spent about a half a trillion (off debt) this year and the media was screaming “great news”. I mean I guess soon we will have 50 trillion in debt, but who cares? I suppose. We all have our pet projects and as long as they continue.....heck with debt!

[Dagnabitt]

Still going with the dual Boeing/SpaceX pick. But if NASA only selects one, I think the CST-100 will have the edge.

[oh8eleven]

I loved the space program when I was a kid.
Me too, big time - I used to cut school just to watch the launches on TV. Black & white no less!
I was enthralled with the shuttle too - for about 10 years. Then it dawned on me - what are getting out of this?
I suppose a loose comparison would be all the billions (trillions?) spent on trying to find cures for cancer, MS, ALS, etc., over the last 50 years ... and how it only took Jonas Salk a few years and not that much money to come up with a polio vaccine.

[kosciusko51]

I don't think that Blue Origin is in the running, but I could be wrong.

I'm hoping that that they go with a full share for SpaceX, with a 1/2 share for the SNC Dreamchaser. SNC is in a unique situation, since they have some agreements with ESA to help in their development.

[oh8eleven]

Non-sequitur ... but thanks for playing.

[kosciusko51]

With the debt, there are a lot of things we should not do, but ceding space to the Russians and Chinese is not the way to go.

[BrewingFrog]

Droolers?

It is simply a matter of success and proven capability. Dragon and its launch system have flown several times, have shown the clear capability to do the job and are a homegrown, non-union shop with offices (and a soon-to-be launch facility) right here in Texas.

Boeing has a nice piece of vaporwear, no demonstrated launch capacity, no on-orbit success and noting to base their bid upon but some nice PowerPoint demonstrations and a mock-up capsule they dropped onto the desert. Zip. Zero. Nada.

Oh, and Boeing was happy to pick up a Government check to do all that, too.

If Boeing is awarded the contract, it is nothing more than a case of Better Opportunities for Graft. Same old, same old...

[Moonman62]

I think that the Dream Chaser is the coolest contender. But our last winged spacecraft killed 14...

...

It was the unsafe design of the launch stack that killed 14. The orbiter should be on top with the means to abort and separate rather than stuck on the side.

[Darksheare]

Giant painted targets, maybe a foam pad pit.
Incoming people bounce off the walls superball style.

[kosciusko51]

Every picture I’ve seen of the Dreamchaser on the launch pad has it on top of the stack. Also, it should be able to use its re-entry engine for launch abort.

[jetson]

A team of Ebola free humans to mars.

[Monkey Face]

What a wonderful idea! Send them all to the sun!

[Dagnabitt]

Good point about the stacking.

Also, the success (as far as we know) of the USAF's little space plane is recent positive note for winged spacecraft.

[1010RD]

If you want more government waste. Privatize spaceflight and watch it soar.

[Monkey Face]

What a spiffy little craft that is! Awesome photos! Thanks!

[Vermont Lt]

Yes, i think its as much a marketing problem as it is an “effectiveness” problem.

If we could have seen where it was “going” there would be much more support.

But, the desire to “explore” is not enough for some people. Its one of the reasons why Sandals and Cruises are full, but the national parks are sometimes empty.

[Dagnabitt]

According to this report, Boeing is somehow ahead on points:

An Updated List of NASA's Commercial Crew Partner Milestones

From a quantitative standpoint, Boeing is the leader. Since the first quarter of 2013, the company has been ahead in percentage of milestones completed and percentage of funding awarded. Plus, there's the simple fact that they've finished all of their milestones, while SpaceX and Sierra Nevada asked for extensions.

But from a qualitative standpoint, things are less straightforward. SpaceX has already proven they can fly missions to the ISS. And they're the only CCiCap participant with a pad abort test and an in-flight abort test among their milestones.