Comments on: Shelby ratchets up the rhetoric

By: common sense

common sense — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:03:45 +0000

“HLV development will likely use up all (and maybe more) of the Ares I workforce”

This is why Ares V or a variant will go on for a while. And as I stated before if commercial finds a way to run the mission at a lesser cost than Ares V then it’ll be cancelled, just not now.

” ULA will likely win or be part of a winning a commercial crew transport contract”

If Orion goes on that may be. If Lockheed or Boeing have to develop their own crew tarnsport (as I assume it would not be ULA) and if it is a capsule they will be in a legal nightmare as they will not be able to use whatever they did for OSP and CEV on government money. So to me it is not clear they can get the crew transport, maybe the launcher. And here I am speaking of ISS service. For deep space I am not sure if it’d play a role unless the governement here again opens a COTS like competition rather than the current format. But note that if they change Constellation I would not be surprised they have to re-procure the whole thing… We’ll see.

By: Major Tom

Major Tom — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 18:20:34 +0000

The stupidly sad thing about Shelby’s actions is that if any of the options in the Augustine Committee report besides the program of record are pursued, they will likely result in greater employment in Alabama, not less. All the Moon First and Flexible Path options trade Ares I development for HLV development, commercial crew transport, and ISS extension. HLV development will likely use up all (and maybe more) of the Ares I workforce, which will probably be a net wash for the MSFC workforce. ULA will likely win or be part of a winning a commercial crew transport contract, which will boost production rates and the workforce at their Decatur plant. And instead of terminating MSFC’s ISS workforce in 2015, the Moon First and Flexible Path options ensure that ISS workers at MSFC will continue to be employed through 2020.

I personally hope that the HLV decision is deferred, which would impact the MSFC workforce if Ares I is also terminated. But based on the options in the Augustine Committee’s final report, Shelby should be cheering Moon First and Flexible Path, rather than making false claims about the Committee’s treatment of flight safety and accusing NASA employee and support contractor staff of being lobbyists.

FWIW…

By: Loki

Loki — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:10:49 +0000

The only person I can think of that he may be referring to is maybe Greason, but he’s not a lobbyist, he’s the CEO of “new space” company XCOR Aerospace. I think Shelby is just blowing smoke up people’s arses.

Also, if he makes a big enough stink about unpecified lobbyists tainting the Augustine Committee, he’ll be able to grandstand come election time about how he “fought the lobbyists influence” to try and save jobs at MSFC. Meanwhile, the lobbyists from ATK, Boeing, LM, etc. continue to conduct business as usual.

In fact, has anyone investigated Mr. Shelby’s campaign donor list? I imagine you’ll be able to find plently of money from the big aerospace companies lobbyists. That’s probably what he’s really pissed off about, that “his” lobbyists weren’t invited. What a hypocritical @$$#0!& this guy is. The more I hear about him the more I hope he gets sents packing come re-election time.

By: Major Tom

Major Tom — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 15:54:11 +0000

As NASAWatch pointed out this morning, the other Alabama senator, Jeff Sessions (also a Republican), opposed the omnibus spending bill:

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/local.ssf?/base/news/1260872143213130.xml&coll=1

It’s interesting to note that the support for Ares/Constellation doesn’t even go as deep as both Alabama senators in the spending bill.

FWIW…

By: sc220

sc220 — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 11:28:51 +0000

MSFC and Shelby reminds me of those rare occasions where clueless parents intercede on their bratty children’s behalf. This happens time and time again, and ultimately backfires when the parents turn their backs (much to the detriment of the children). Needless to say there is not much love for MSFC within the Agency, and Shelby ain’t getting any younger. At least Barb Mikulski realizes that she needs to “justify” the presents she bestows on her spoiled children.

By: Jonathan Goff

Jonathan Goff — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 07:21:00 +0000

While Shelby, as I said on my blog, has about as much moral authority to lecture people on the evils of lobbyists corrupting the political process as Tiger Woods has moral authority on the topic of marital fidelity…

…I’m with Jeff in wondering who the heck he’s referring to with his childish tantrum.

~Jon

By: SpaceMan

SpaceMan — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 05:29:07 +0000

Shelby is an a**hat that spends all of his time on his knees. End of discussion.

By: Major Tom

Major Tom — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 04:57:36 +0000

A discussion with someone who actually cares more about the future of the U.S. civil human space flight program than employment in Northern Alabama:

http://spectrum.ieee.org/aerospace/space-flight/norman-augustine-on-human-spaceflight?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+IeeeSpectrum+%28IEEE+Spectrum%29&utm_content=Bloglines

FWIW…

By: Major Tom

Major Tom — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 04:54:38 +0000

Now, on top of Ares I, the Northern Alabama Space Agency is wasting taxpayer money on useless IG investigations.

Sigh…