Comments on: Florida Today on Bush vs. Kerry

By: Jim Rohrich

Jim Rohrich — Wed, 03 Nov 2004 22:17:47 +0000

Bill,

“Heh! Can anyone tell me when the election is? Wednesday you say?”

Election was yesterday. Kerry lost.

By: Bill White

Bill White — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 22:15:20 +0000

Edward, your proposal is really quite sensible, at least IMHO.

An ISS-2 built with Trans-Habs (which Bigelow bought from NASA) and launched to 28 degrees and which DID NOT rely upon orbiter would be an excellent way to go.

By: Edward Wright

Edward Wright — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 20:00:31 +0000

> Tell us Edward Wright, would you complete ISS (if so, how?) or “cut bait” and walk away?

I never would have started ISS. If someone gave it to me today, I would convert the existing components into something useful, like a propellant dump and orbital construction facility. I would hold off on any further components until Robert Bigelow has something that can be launched at reasonable price.

Of course, if someone gave me ISS, I would probably have a heart attack and not live to do that.

By: Bill White

Bill White — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 19:11:23 +0000

The conflicting goals of ISS completion and orbiter retirement represents a very real contradiction at the heart of the “Bush vision” announced in January 2004.

Unless or until a credible plan is offered to either finish ISS within budget (both money budgets and time budgets) = OR = we decide to just “cut bait” and significantly scale back ISS or cancel it outright, all the rhetotric about going on to:

“Moon, Mars and Beyond. . .” is empty hot air.

= = =

Heh! Can anyone tell me when the election is? Wednesday you say?

By: Keith Cowing

Keith Cowing — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 17:41:15 +0000

FOUST: A related point: Jim Oberg has an article for MSNBC stating NASA is indeed looking at ways to retire the shuttle early.

In yesterday’s media telecon NASA also said that they had studies underway which showed the need for *more* shuttle missions (i.e more than 28) and that they may well fly these missions beyond 2010.

By: Robert G. Oler

Robert G. Oler — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 15:50:38 +0000

Tell us Edward Wright, would you complete ISS (if so, how?) or “cut bait” and walk away?

Posted by Bill Whiite at October 29, 2004 07:43 PM

By: Bill White

Bill White — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 00:53:24 +0000

Great column on Bush & Kerry & space. Kudos to Jeff Foust and spacetoday:

http://www.flatoday.com/news/space/stories/2004b/102904billycoxcolumn.htm

Maybe no one in Washington cares about space.

By: Bill Whiite

Bill Whiite — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 00:43:36 +0000

Tell us Edward Wright, would you complete ISS (if so, how?) or “cut bait” and walk away?

By: Edward Wright

Edward Wright — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 00:41:50 +0000

> Why not send out an RFP to private companies to submit proposals to re-supply
> the station? That should cut down 3 to 4 missions there. Next give USA
> and other companies chance to develop a Shuttle-C with the guarantee
> of at least 5 launches.

Because investors know how read. Once they saw USA was getting unlimited handouts to develop a Shuttle-C that can lose a billion dollars a flight, they would not put a penny into competiting vehicles.

By: Bill White

Bill White — Sat, 30 Oct 2004 00:07:37 +0000

To amplify Dogsbd point, doesn’t CAIB require that one orbiter ALWAYS be within 90 days of flight readiness whenever any other orbiter go up?

As a backstop? (90 days may be the wrong number but CAIB does say 1 orbiter must be “on deck” at any time one is in LEO)

With the current turnaround time between flights and CAIB launch window rules, 3 per year may be too optimistic.