Comments on: Putting COTS selection on hold?

By: Vladislaw

Vladislaw — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 19:17:09 +0000

RpK Says It Won’t Take NASA to Court Over COTS Dispute
WASHINGTON — Rocketplane Kistler (RpK) has backed off its threat to sue NASA for withdrawing financial support of the K-1 reusable rocket the Oklahoma City-based company was developing under the U.S. space agency’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program to deliver supplies and eventually astronauts to the international space station.

http://www.space.com/spacenews/

Does this mean NASA will be able to go ahead with the second cots funding package?

By: Al Fansome

Al Fansome — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 00:51:03 +0000

Yes.

– Al

By: Vladislaw

Vladislaw — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 00:21:09 +0000

Is this the Bill Adkins?

http://www.adkins-strategies.com/

By: COTSadvocate

COTSadvocate — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 21:50:15 +0000

The only person who has demonstrated — by his actions — that he has deep enough pockets to fund his entire program — without any help from NASA — is Jeff Bezos.

Musk has obviously already accepted (and lobbied for) NASA money. And he is asking for even more NASA COTS money in order to accelerate his crew system. If he had deep enough pockets, he would not need to do this.

Bigelow has publicly stated that his program is dependent upon the development of affordable crew & cargo transportation systems. Bigelow is waiting for somebody else to fund those critical systems. Until they arrive, he does not have a real business. It is kind of like Henry Ford saying “I have this great idea for how to make cars, but wooden tires are awful … I have to wait until somebody invents the rubber tire.”

– COTS Advocate

By: Vladislaw

Vladislaw — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 21:19:21 +0000

I thought both Musk and Bigelow said they had deep enough pockets to fund their programs WITHOUT any money from NASA or be dependant on NASA for the success of their respective programs?

By: COTSadvocate

COTSadvocate — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 19:33:07 +0000

BACK TO THE ORIGINAL DISCUSSION about the congressional on COTS.

I think this congressional language is a tempest in a teapot.

It is highly likely that the GAO will turn down the RpK protest — which is focused on whether NASA can use OTA for the COTS 1.5 competition. Others have previously discussed here why the RpK protest is very weak.

Once the dispute is over, the Mikuslki language will no longer have any effect.

In parallel, it is also highly likely for NASA to take longer than February 2008 anyways to be in a position to sign the new Space Act Agreement.

The COTS program took about 4 months the last time around — from the selection of the six semi-finalists to the selection of the two winners (~6 months from proposal delivery).

If we assume they take the same amount of time this time around — and based on the COTS program’s statement that they will not start interviews until after January 7, this suggests a decision around May. If you want to give them some credit for a “learning curve”, think April (or March at the earliest).

In summary, I see no need to start screaming “the sky if falling”. There is plenty of time in the COTS Program’s schedule for the GAO to rule on the dispute, and to allow the COTS program to proceed as they desire.

– COTS Advocate

By: John Provan

John Provan — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 23:38:21 +0000

Trying to blame the Democrats for this is silly. There is a five-year gap looming in US human access to space. What president submitted the budgets that plan for that gap? Bush. What party is Bush? Hence, the five-year gap is Bush’s Gap.

By: Keith Cowing

Keith Cowing — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 23:18:55 +0000

Yes Mark, just who is Bill Adkins – and why do his simple words trump all of your silly partisan snarkiness?

By: Al Fansome

Al Fansome — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 21:30:24 +0000

Mr. Whittington,

I assume that you know who Bill Adkins is?

Regards,

– Al

By: Bill Adkins

Bill Adkins — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 20:35:49 +0000

Space does not break along partisan lines.