NASA to Accelerate Orbital Space Plane Schedule

space.com ^ | 07/15/03 | Lou Rains

[KevinDavis]

DAYTON, Ohio -- NASA Administrator Sean O’Keefe has instructed the agency to accelerate development of the Orbital Space Plane and to have a vehicle ready to send to the international space station by 2008 to serve as a crew rescue vehicle.

"In light of Columbia, the administrator has asked us to accelerate by two years," said Daniel Dumbacher, manager of the second generation reusable launch vehicle program office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center. He said O’Keefe requested the new schedule about two weeks ago.

[KevinDavis]

Too late, by then there would be at leat a private space plane fleet, with some private space stations.

[KevinDavis]

Space Ping! This is the space ping list! Let me know if you want on or off this list!

[Support Free Republic]

.REMEMBER

CAN PREVENT

FUNDRAISERS

.

PLEASE SUPPORT FREE REPUBLIC Donate Here By Secure ServerOr mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com

STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD-
It is in the breaking news sidebar!

[Brett66]

Now if they would only accelerate the shuttle's retirement.......

[farmfriend]

ping

[JRandomFreeper]

It does seem that the megolithic beast that is NASA is finally but slugishly responding to stimuli from the fast moving X-prize contestants. Rutan will kick their dyno-soar butts out of the space business. Governments are only good for breaking things and killing people.

/john

[King Prout]

thanks for the wake-up.

[Amazed1953]

Ping me dude.

I like articles about space flight and NASA.

[Iris7]

I've been watching Burt Rutan, and can see that his X-Prize vehicle is awfully close, if not there, to being able to survive a real re-entry. That swinging rear tail section is truly creative. Build the shell out of something that can handle thermal shock (even the tremendously dumb Shuttle's Reinforced Carbon - Carbon, much less what Mr. Rutan will come up with) and you can fly it into the atmosphere to brake and out to cool if need be. Rutan is on the right track. What he is doing can really, really work. NASA is horrible, a vast waste of enthusiasm, time, money, and dreams. Fire all of them, cancel their retirement benefits.

I have been a very serious space guy all my life.

[Iris7]

Put me on your ping list, please.

[Brett66]

Hmmm, O'Keefe's calling this the orbital space plane as if they have already decided who gets the contract. I thought there was a capsule variant. Guess it won't be flying.

[mikegi]

Too late, by then there would be at leat a private space plane fleet, with some private space stations.

Not a chance! I don't think people realize how difficult it is to design a space vehicle. Almost every scientific field is stretched to the maximum: physics, mechanics, chemistry, etc. NASA should use simple capsules to transport people. Space "planes" add unnecessary weight and complexity. You don't need wings to go up, maneuver in space, or reenter. You only need them in the final minutes of mission.

[MistrX]

They were great in the '60's, then they were overwhelmed by the bureaucracy.

[King Prout]

Rutan's greates strength, I think, is his ability to totally ignore convention and come up with stuff that works.

[BenLurkin]

bttt

[Iris7]

The capsule approach is the best one that NASA has been considering, so of course it will not be what NASA selects. Instead we will get a heavy, handmade, mind-bogglingly expensive, stupid solution. And probably no safer than the Shuttle.

[Iris7]

Agreed. I've run some numbers just to get a feel for the situation, and boy, are you right. That is why I get so mad at NASA for making an Egyptian Pyramid (the Shuttle) when they promised a spacecraft.

For all of you, whether particularly interested in the technical details, or not, you can't beat Jerry Pournelle's website for clear discussion and analysis. Doctor Pournelle is experienced, intelligent, and wise. And does not lie.

[Iris7]

I have family obligations as first priority, getting my three beautiful girls launched into the world. I may be able to retire from General Motors when those expenses are over. Perhaps I could work then for Dr. Rutan as a privately funded assitant, sweeper and bottle washer and work my way up in his organization. Oh Highest Lord please hear my prayer.

[King Prout]

I'd be pleased to have the opportunity to just shake his hand.
Beyond that, I'm hoping to have the opportunity to ride one of his "children" into space some day...Oh Highest Lord please hear my prayer.

[cartoonistx]

NASA: Celestrial AMTRAC!