Posted on 11/15/2004 8:56:22 AM PST by cogitator
Liberally excerpted due to length; I recommend clicking the article link and reading the whole dismal thing.
"VSE" stands for "Vision for Space Exploration".
Telling excerpts:
International Space Station: "There is no plan to handle NASA's share of the huge up-cargo and down-cargo demands of the finished ISS, except for a thin wedge labled "ISS transportation" in the famous VSE budget chart. There is no plan for a US cargo vehicle.
There is no initiative to do away with the Iran Non-Proliferation Act which forbids NASA to purchase Progress launches from Russia. There is no plan to purchase ATV cargo flights from Europe, or to purchase HTV flights from Japan.
Even worse, there is no plan for crew exchange without Shuttle. The "finished" ISS will require that a total of 12 crewpersons be launched and landed each year. NASA is responsible for the non-Russian share of this.
The INPA forbids the purchase of Soyuz flights; Europe and Japan have no manned vehicles to purchase; and the Chinese Shenzhou program is withering away with an apparent flight rate of less than 0.5/yr.
The announced US policy for the future of ISS amounts to this: NASA will finish assembling the ISS at vast further expense in American money (and possibly dead American astronauts), then dump the whole white elephant on the international partners, who will be totally unable to meet its crew exchange and "junk exchange" needs.
This plan is so stupid that even Congressmen are objecting to it. For some months there has been a series of increasingly less polite requests from Congress that NASA present some kind of plan for adequate logistical support of the finished ISS. But no plan has been produced - much less a budget.
.........
Hubble Robot Repair Mission: "For $2200M, one could build several more Hubbles and launch them on expendable boosters. It just doesn't make any sense to develop a whole new space robot technology for this one repair job. There is no chance that Congress will pony up this amount of money to save Hubble. Anybody working on this mission is wasting their time."
Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter:: "Of course, JIMO is the mission which was used to justify the hugely expensive Prometheus program for improved nuclear power in space.
But that was back in the pre-VSE environment when it was officially forbidden for NASA to work on or even plan for any post-ISS manned programs. Clearly, the Prometheus 100kw space reactor plant is far more necessary as an auxiliary power source for manned ships and bases than it is as propulsion power for unmanned probes."
Mars Sample Return: "For a while it seemed that Earth was only getting young volcanic Mars rocks, probably from the Tharsis region. But then ALH 84001 was belatedly recognised as a chunk of Mars' ancient highland crust.
The bogus controversy over "fossils" in this meteorite has tended to overshadow the large amount of real science that was extracted from it.
The most important programmatic implication of ALH 84001 was that if we collected enough Mars meteorites, we might get samples of most of the significant geological units on Mars.
Instead of spending billions on MSR, it might be more cost-effective to expand the existing collection program in Antartica, or offer big cash prizes to rockhounds for genuine Mars rocks in their collections.
Concluding paragraphs: "This is a pretty scary list of disasters. The combined impact of these failures and cancellations in the next year or so could be disastrous, on top of the Columbia, OSP, and Genesis fiascos. Possibly NASA needs an "Associate Administrator for Early Warning".
His job would be akin to that of the old court jester - to speak the unspeakable truths that loyal courtiers dare not mention, early enough that these doomed projects could be quietly put out of their misery before they generate too much bad publicity.
I didn't even think about that -- there is a lead article at Space Daily about the high-speed scramjet test. NASA success should be noted as such.
"Was done in the Mercury and Gemini programs."
When did they re-launch a Mercury or Gemini cap in two weeks turnaround? Re-launch either AT ALL, for that matter? How about two-week turnarounds for Shuttle? Not a possibility.
For a relative pittance, Rutan is doing this now. Actually, his turnaround was LESS than two weeks.
NASA has to get out of these old programs and put the resources to work on the new stuff. The Hubble robot mission is interesting if it furthers space robot design, which is in line with NASA's new program. Otherwise, splash it.
NASA ping.
Let Dick Rutan do it.
I don't think Las Vegas's major clientele could survive it. Zero G is hell on the young and healthy. On the aged, all bets are off. Calcium leaves the bones at ten times the rate of osteoporosis (which also increases the likelihood and severity of kidney stones), bodily fluids migrate upward, causing facial swelling, sinus congestion, inner ear congestion (which causes vertigo, disorientation, motion sickness and -- in many cases -- truly spectacular puking episodes).
Sorry to take exception, but doesn't developing a whole new technology have benefits beyond the initial purpose? Sometimes having a tangible goal like the Hubble repair is a good thing. I sense some short-sightedness in the author's argument given the statement above.
All the better to entertain dinner guests when you get back.
You're wow'd by suborbital flights. Me, I've seen it all before.
I'll be impressed when the private sector makes it to the moon. Until then, the private sector's stuff is the same old steak with a different sizzle.
Considering the moon's atmosphere (or lack of), you'd have to if there were :)
I'd just have NASA focus on this an forget the other 'geek-projects'.
It might do that.
Robot helps NASA refocus on Hubble
"It is by no means a sure thing. Yet largely because of the Canadian robot named "Dextre," NASA has gone in less than a year from virtually writing off the Hubble to embracing a mission that will cost between $1 billion and $1.6 billion and approach in complexity the hardest jobs the agency has ever undertaken."
Which doesn't mean I think it's a good idea, due to the cost -- but they may be able to pull it off for that cost.
"And are you under the impression that Rutan did all that without borrowing the knowledge and experience invented and developed by NASA?"
No. But they've capitalized on it well. And I'm glad NASA developed some of what Rutan needed to put it all together. The fact squarely remains that NASA hasn't and can't do what Rutan can right now, but the VSE will remedy that.
If you have some idea I don't like NASA, you've completely misread me. I believe outside of our military, it's our best-spent funding item.
"Got news for you, sunshine."
How's the shoulder? That 50 pound chip has gotta hurt. Back the h*ll off and think before you post.
"I'll be impressed when the private sector makes it to the moon. Until then, the private sector's stuff is the same old steak with a different sizzle."
Nope. Rutan and his folks are doing something that NO ONE and NO ORGANIZATION has done before by being able to have a truly reusable quick-turnaround capability. It is a big, big step in the right direction.
And if NASA had done it, I'd be just as pleased and pumped about it.
How about, it might not be a good idea investing in a Canadian company with US tax dollars?
Mercury was suborbital, Gemini wasn't reusable.
Burt Rutan for NASA Administrator - time to transform NASA.
Re-entry without heat shielding was a significant achievement.
What a waste of perfectly good windmill money.
1. He doesn't want the pay cut.
2. Much of NASA's problems are part and parcel of being a government agency. Burt taking charge wouldn't change that.
Is that the Rutan flight you're thinking of? What was the total heat load they were dissipating on that one? Quite a jump in managing heat load going from a suborbital burp to full-fledged orbit, much less escape velocity.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.