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NASA to shelve nuclear propulsion project (NASA kills Prometheus)
Albany Times Union ^ | Wednesday, September 14, 2005 | ERIC ANDERSON

Posted on 09/14/2005 6:11:02 AM PDT by Arkie2

NISKAYUNA -- The plan to send a manned space mission to Mars apparently doomed research on nuclear propulsion being carried out at Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory. Advertisement

KAPL employees were told late last week that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration was ending the $65 million program to develop a nuclear-electric propulsion system as it reorders its priorities.

The Prometheus project, as it is called, will undergo a "substantial reduction," KAPL officials said this week, in part so money can be spent on developing the Crew Exploration Vehicle that will be used to send humans back to the Moon and to Mars.

NASA and the division of the U.S. Department of Energy that oversees KAPL "have mutually agreed that NASA's reprioritization of work and reduction in funding for the Prometheus Program do not support continuation of the partnership for the development" of the nuclear-electric propulsion system, KAPL officials said in a written response to questions from the Times Union.

KAPL hired 150 engineers and other staff as it began research on the $65 million project in March 2004. Now, said Anne LaRoche, a KAPL spokeswoman, work will be brought to "an orderly conclusion."

She said it's not clear how many people might lose their jobs.

"KAPL is working on an appropriate approach, in keeping with corporate policy, for reducing overall staffing levels," LaRoche said.

NASA spokesman Michael Braukus said the work that already has been done will be stored in NASA's archives.

Niskayuna Town Supervisor Luke Smith said KAPL had alerted him that "NASA had changed their priorities."

KAPL's main focus has been researching and developing nuclear propulsion systems for naval vessels. The facility is operated by Lockheed Martin Corp. under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy and it has a $460 million budget, not including the NASA work.

Total employment at KAPL's plants in Niskayuna and in West Milton is 2,700, including 1,500 engineers.


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Technical
KEYWORDS: mars; nasa; prometheus; vasimr
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NASA has decided to scrap Prometheus, a vital propulsion technology for deep space exploration, to fund the next big manned space boondoggle. This guarantees that not only will we never see men on Mars (that program will be scrapped by the next administration) but we will never develop the technology we need for exploring the outer planets.
1 posted on 09/14/2005 6:11:03 AM PDT by Arkie2
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To: RadioAstronomer; KevinDavis
See what I mean, jelly bean? Rides for brides and toys for boys.

Science and exploration, knowledge--DOA. Goodies for pilot wannabes.

2 posted on 09/14/2005 6:14:51 AM PDT by Mamzelle
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To: Arkie2

The private sector will develop space travel. In 10 or 15 years we might be able to book a flight to Mars on Virgin Galactic.


3 posted on 09/14/2005 6:17:19 AM PDT by 6SJ7
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To: RightWhale; Brett66; xrp; gdc314; anymouse; RadioAstronomer; NonZeroSum; jimkress; discostu; ...

4 posted on 09/14/2005 6:23:06 AM PDT by KevinDavis (the space/future belongs to the eagles --> http://www.cafepress.com/kevinspace1)
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To: Mamzelle

As the girly Saganite speaks..


5 posted on 09/14/2005 6:23:30 AM PDT by KevinDavis (the space/future belongs to the eagles --> http://www.cafepress.com/kevinspace1)
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To: Mamzelle

Posted here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1482098/posts

Read my posts:

29
31
35
38
40

To see my position on this.


6 posted on 09/14/2005 6:24:47 AM PDT by RadioAstronomer (Senior member of Darwin Central)
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To: Arkie2
a vital propulsion technology for deep space exploration, to fund the next big manned space boondoggle. This guarantees that not only will we never see men on Mars (that program will be scrapped by the next administration) but we will never develop the technology we need for exploring the outer planets.

It's all a big boondoggle anyway. We need a man on Mars because? I guess for the same reason we need to explore the outer planets. To transfer tax money to more government employees.

7 posted on 09/14/2005 6:25:56 AM PDT by from occupied ga (Your government is your most dangerous enemy, and Bush is no conservative)
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To: KevinDavis

No person is ever gonna make it to Mars, thanks to the infantile Disneyride boys.


8 posted on 09/14/2005 6:26:10 AM PDT by Mamzelle
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To: 6SJ7
The private sector will develop space travel. In 10 or 15 years we might be able to book a flight to Mars on Virgin Galactic.

Flapdoodle.

In 10 to 15 years, they may have an orbital that you can afford a ticket to take a ride on.

9 posted on 09/14/2005 6:26:30 AM PDT by RadioAstronomer (Senior member of Darwin Central)
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To: Mamzelle; All

Whatever...


10 posted on 09/14/2005 6:28:43 AM PDT by KevinDavis (the space/future belongs to the eagles --> http://www.cafepress.com/kevinspace1)
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To: KevinDavis; Mamzelle

Just what is this "Saganite" term you keep tossing around?

I knew Carl Sagan. I even appeared on both TLC and the Discovery Channel with him.


11 posted on 09/14/2005 6:29:01 AM PDT by RadioAstronomer (Senior member of Darwin Central)
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To: Arkie2

Nuclear propulsion? Project Orion, or something else entirely?


12 posted on 09/14/2005 6:30:29 AM PDT by English Nationalist
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To: Arkie2

Well, this whole situation sucks all around.


13 posted on 09/14/2005 6:31:29 AM PDT by JamesP81
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To: Mamzelle

NASA SHUTDOWNS:

the results of the P.C. dumbing down of America. chop the budget for imagination, innovation, invention, science and mathematics.

Let's ridicule the one agency that was responsible for the greatest increases in technology EVER! Can't have the USA number one!

Let's make America the WORST in all fields since we cannot be the best anymore thanks to the anti-america leftists and their little helpers in the public schools and colleges and in al areas of govt.

Nikita has won! He WILL bury you - with your own shovels of ignorance.


14 posted on 09/14/2005 6:31:30 AM PDT by hombre_sincero (www.sigmaitsys.com)
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To: from occupied ga
I guess for the same reason we need to explore the outer planets. To transfer tax money to more government employees.

Exploration and knowledge are vital to our species, this country and the security of this country.

You and I have gone round this one before on a number of occasions.

15 posted on 09/14/2005 6:33:42 AM PDT by RadioAstronomer (Senior member of Darwin Central)
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To: 6SJ7

Sure we will... the private sector hasn't even made an orbital flight yet, and won't even be able to carry passengers on sub-orbital flights until 2008 at the earliest. Sub orbital to orbital flight is an enormous difference. It takes much more energy to get to orbital flight, and then you have the difficult problem of reentry. Achieving the velocity required just to reach the moon is daunting (ever seen how big a Saturn V is?)... Mars? Maybe the private sector will get manned flight there in 100-200 years, but don't hope for anything sooner...


16 posted on 09/14/2005 6:34:12 AM PDT by eraser2005
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To: English Nationalist; Arkie2

Not Orion.

See:


http://prometheus.jpl.nasa.gov/index.cfm?pageL1=overview


17 posted on 09/14/2005 6:36:15 AM PDT by RadioAstronomer (Senior member of Darwin Central)
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To: English Nationalist

Project Prometheus, a program to couple a fission reactor with an ion drive to power future deep space exploration. Nuclear power is required because of the lack of solar power at those distances. Add it to the dustbin of other worthwhile projects scrapped at NASA to fund manned flight.


18 posted on 09/14/2005 6:36:38 AM PDT by Arkie2 (Mega super duper moose, whine, cheese, series, zot, viking kitties, barf alert!)
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To: Arkie2

As if anyone will loose their jobs. They will just move their desks across the hall to the Crew Exploration Vehicle class.

Does anyone seriously think NASA will quit wasting huge amounts of money?
And why is it so important to travel to outer "planets" that are uninhabitable anyways? Spending billions for a picture which usually ends up creating more questions than answers.
"look! ice!" Big deal.


19 posted on 09/14/2005 6:36:55 AM PDT by Nathan Zachary
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To: Nathan Zachary

Frankly, I don't care about the jobs. It's prometheus' cancellation itself that is the issue here.


20 posted on 09/14/2005 6:39:43 AM PDT by Arkie2 (Mega super duper moose, whine, cheese, series, zot, viking kitties, barf alert!)
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