It’s been known for some time that the administration is embarking on an overall review of national space policy, one that goes beyond the current Augustine committee review of NASA’s human spaceflight plans. That’s not unprecedented: previous administrations have done similar reviews and updates of national space policy, which can last for several years (in the case of the previous administration, stretching well into its second term.) With new NASA leadership finally in place, the space agency is now finally learning its role in that review. Aerospace Daily reported yesterday that new administrator Charles Bolden and deputy administrator Lori Garver went to the White House on Tuesday to meet with science advisor John Holdren to “establish their agency’s role in the White House review”. That top-level review is led by National Security Advisor James Jones—like Bolden a retired Marine Corps general—with no set date for its completion.
http://rescommunis.wordpress.com/2009/07/05/president-orders-sweeping-u-s-policy-review/
As background, I was a member of NASA’s GSFC since it inception, ran the 1st NASA study of the uses of a Space Station(they used it to sell station but have done none of the experiments), a member of the inter-center Space Station advisory committee, and am now retired.
My main poit is that NASA has done NO study of the relative advantages of aslowly rotating artificial gravity space station, as proposed by Von Braun, as opposed to the zero gravity station NASA built. Such a confuguration, probably using many if not most of the space station components now in orbit, could evolve into venturing far into space without zero gravity constraints on the astronauts themselves, and many other attributes related supporting their long term survival and productive functioning in space.
(While in NASA I also received its 3 highest medals and a Presidential citation)
Les Meredith