Comments on: Senate hearing on shuttle and future launch vehicles

By: Harold LaValley

Harold LaValley — Thu, 06 May 2004 17:59:07 +0000

We may be going on Mars like the energizer bunny but on Earth Nasa is crawling slowly backwards away from manned space flight aboard the Shuttle.

Side bar article on Marsnews site notes:

Future of Space Shuttle Program Discussed Lawmakers Consider Allowing Russians To Finish Building Outpost.

http://www.wesh.com/spacenews/3275615/detail.html

How can Russia do any better than Nasa on this issue? Like Nasa they have no other heavy lifting rocket for manned or unmanned flight for the weight of the remaining modules.

By: Kevin Parkin

Kevin Parkin — Wed, 05 May 2004 02:49:25 +0000

While it’s true that I haven’t met Sen. Brownback, I have met Gen. Worden, as have several of my friends and associates.

I found him to be very inclusive of other people’s views and ideas, and that naturally led me to expect that whatever his involvement in these Senate proceedings, that he will try to make sure all sides of the issue get heard.

Maybe I should be more cynical, and I remain open-minded. In any case, we’ll all get to judge for ourselves tomorrow.

By: Keith Cowing

Keith Cowing — Tue, 04 May 2004 05:00:43 +0000

“First, I’m sure Sen. Brownback has his own free will and won’t be coaxed into positions he disagrees with. Presumably he took Pete on board because their views were compatible – I don’t see what the point would be otherwise, and I expect Pete will work hard to facilitate a high quality debate within Sen. Brownback’s space committee.”

You are presuming a lot about people you have never met….more to follow….

By: Kevin Parkin

Kevin Parkin — Tue, 04 May 2004 03:54:38 +0000

So over on Keith’s website he is wary of Gen. Pete Worden’s influence on this hearing. I had a couple of thoughts on this:

First, I’m sure Sen. Brownback has his own free will and won’t be coaxed into positions he disagrees with. Presumably he took Pete on board because their views were compatible – I don’t see what the point would be otherwise, and I expect Pete will work hard to facilitate a high quality debate within Sen. Brownback’s space committee.

Second, I believe that without a budget increase NASA will have to choose between the Exploration Initiative, Space Shuttle, and not losing a field center.

Personally, I would choose to close a field center, but I recognize that the power to do so does not lie within NASA.

So failing that I would choose the Space Shuttle, and it follows that the space station may not be finishable without it. They’re not using the space station for on-orbit satellite assembly etc. and it’s not going anywhere, so is there a compelling reason to throw good money after bad?

By: Harold LaValley

Harold LaValley — Tue, 04 May 2004 03:13:10 +0000

So lets assume the funds were made available after the 5 years of no shuttle flights.

That yields a total of 20 billion for Nasa to design and have flight ready by 2014 maybe the CEV for use for the beginning of the Moon missions.

On the other hand can the US for not forfilling the ISS launch agreements of completion withstand the reprocusions of the ISS partners.

On the note of 20 billion when it time to get that money, there will be a whole new president and congress. What is the likelyhood that the funds would be issued.

By: Bill White

Bill White — Tue, 04 May 2004 02:54:07 +0000

A link to where Senator Brownback may be headed on this:

http://www.sunherald.com/mld/thesunherald/news/world/8576025.htm

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Mon, 03 May 2004 16:36:13 +0000

puntuation dah… maybe this one is better.
therehasbeen4previouspublichearingbytheMoontoMarscommissionwhythisonetotestifyinandwhatcouldheoffer

By: Keith Cowing

Keith Cowing — Mon, 03 May 2004 16:09:35 +0000

“There has been 4 previous public hearing by the MoontoMars commission, why this one to testify in and what could he offer?”

Try that sentence again?

By: Harold LaValley

Harold LaValley — Mon, 03 May 2004 15:49:59 +0000

Well he has had his chance to state the needed budget details before the senate in previous hearings and has given little.
There has been 4 previous public hearing by the MoontoMars commission, why this one to testify in and what could he offer?

By: Keith Cowing

Keith Cowing — Mon, 03 May 2004 15:23:53 +0000

Harold, why is this ‘odd’? Did it ever occur to you that there are only so many days in the calendar to fit these events in – and, by the way, that these efforts are not centrally coordinated? As for bean spilling – you assume that there are beans to spill.