[ambrose]

[ambrose]

ping.

[bonesmccoy]

"The concept of "Faster Cheaper Better" for spaceflight projects was nobly conceived but often not implemented very well. The concept originated in Silicon Valley and is the heart and soul of the revolution that continues to shake the world and transform the way we live our lives."

In originating in Silicon Valley, the author unwittingly gives away the FACT that we in Southern California clearly understood for 10 years.

When Barbara Boxer was elected to the US Senate, the LA Area lost an advocate seat for the local aerospace defense contractors. Boxer killed the space industry by supporting massive capital infusion (and much hocus-pocus accounting) to the Bay Area.

We can blame the decline and destruction of our manned space capabilities on Boxer and Clinton.

[Zuben Elgenubi]

"Today the contractor world is very conservative by nature and is reluctant to bring new technologies to bear on spaceflight efforts because of the fear of embarrassment if something fails."

This is not like Columbus sailing out of Genoa on a great seafaring mission. Space is a HOSTILE environment, full of solar radiation and cosmic energy. Then there's the energy required for the humans. Tons of food and water. As much as I would like to see human exporation of the solar system and beyond, the cost of travel appears a severely limiting factor.

[al baby]

First Shuttle liftoff scheduled from Pad B. Launch set for 3:43 p.m. EST, Jan. 22, slipped to Jan. 23, then Jan. 24, due to delays in Mission 61-C. Launch reset for Jan. 25 because of bad weather at transoceanic abort landing (TAL) site in Dakar, Senegal. To utilize Casablanca (not equipped for night landings) as alternate TAL site, T-zero moved to morning liftoff time. Launch postponed a day when launch processing unable to meet new morning liftoff time. Prediction of unacceptable weather at KSC led to launch rescheduled for 9:37 a.m. EST, Jan. 27. Launch delayed 24 hours again when ground servicing equipment hatch-closing fixture could not be removed from orbiter hatch. Fixture sawed off and attaching bolt drilled out before closeout completed. During delay, cross winds exceeded return-to-launch-site limits at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility. Launch Jan. 28 delayed two hours when hardware interface module in launch processing system, which monitors fire detection system, failed during liquid hydrogen tanking procedures. Explosion 73 seconds after liftoff claimed crew and vehicle. Shuttle flights halted while extensive investigation into accident and assessment of Shuttle program conducted.
18 Years ago on january 28 never forget

[Brett66]

I doubt NASA will break out of the cost-plus contract mode, but there's reason to believe they would give other companies, other than Boeing/Lockmart,a chance. I think Spacex will play a significant role in this new direction of NASA.

[NormsRevenge]

To the Moon and Beyond Bump

[RLK]

A mars project at this time is insane. There is nothing there except solid carbon dioxide and fulfillment of a hobby for amateur atronomers and geologists.

[mikegi]

This is not to disparage but to honor those who made Apollo happen because in doing it, and in the aftermath of that program, many of those people went on to be a part of the revolution exemplified by Silicon Valley (my meaning here encompasses the whole American semiconductor and computer industry). Fast forward forty years and it looks like the engineering and technology from Silicon Valley has what it takes to make this new space era happen.

Unfortunately, a kg today is exactly the same as a kg forty years ago. How much thrust does a Pentium 4 have?

I think simplicity is the key to making *sustained* manned spaceflight a success. Things like bringing back capsules for human ascent and descent. They're simple and work well. Also, while reading the web version of Chariots for Apollo, I saw this incredibly simple design for a lunar lander (from 1961):

Put a base on the Moon and use these to shuttle back and forth to the orbiting station (or CM/SM).