If the Nation primes the pump for commercial space, America will never again be without space access and will never EVER have to goto the russians again hat in hand begging for rides to space. That has always been a problem for me, a single fault system where if NASA has a failure, the entire Republic’s space access is shut down until the problem is solved.

By moving away from the Apollo model of space exploration and going with fuel stations, and space based reusable vehicles we also escape the need for spending 50 – 60 billion on a super heavy lift and can put that 50 billion in more actual space hardware.

I do not see the need, to launch a capsule from the surface of the earth, drag it to your destination, discard 2-3 billion in hardware on the way and return with just the capsule. That is not politically sustainable. Apollo proved that. We should be looking beyond the Apollo model after 50 years and fuel stations make EVERY destination beyond LEO a whole hell of a lot easier.

Every President since Nixon has called for more commercial space so that NASA can free up the billions in operational costs and use it for more hardware. Reagan even had a law passed ordering NASA to use more commercial. I see nothing wrong with turning over LEO access to commercial providers.

Not some, not most, ALL transportation systems are handled commercially EXCEPT the sacred cow of space access. After 50 years it is long over due.

“Simberg, I give up, explain to us how ISS, Shuttle and Skylab are bailouts.”

Because in all those cases NASA had to come back to congress, hat in hand, asking for more money because their assumptions were wrong and it was taking longer than expected and if congress wanted the program to continue they would have to pony up more money?

Actually, Lockheed was bailed out in 1971 when congress passed the emergency loan guarantee. If you are looking more traditional bailouts.

Perhaps you’re feeling blue about the industry you cover. Here’s a link for job you are obviously well qualified for:
http://www.ringling.com/uploadedFiles/Ringling/TextContent/FunZone/Circus_Works_Education_Center_Details/139-CLOWN-COLLEGE.pdf

And yes, you’re welcome Rand.

This is kind of stupid.

In what way was the Shuttle, and the manned space program in general for the past few decades, not a “bail out”?

“And get this: they’re condemning NASA to Low Earth Orbit & nothing but that, for the next 15 to 20 years, in the process.”

You must have missed listening to the President’s speech in Florida, or maybe you can not hear and instead didn’t read the speech. Or maybe you can not read or hear and don’t know what you are talking about.

He said early in the next decade (2020 – nine years from the time the new budget goes into effect) that crewed flights would start taking place to test beyond low earth orbit systems. By 2025 attempt an asteroid visit about 14 years if the budget is approved.

You should stop making things up. You lose any credibility you have when you do that. 14 years is not 20 years and the program of record is STILL 20 -25 years out from just a lunar orbit. I will go with the 14 years for an asteroid rather than the current progam’s 25 years for a lunar orbit.

Oler, Simberg and others, you’ve been snookered and Gene Cernan outed the Music Man that fooled you. Don’t be depressed though. you had Gene Cernan expose the fraud at the heart of your new mantra. You could have done worse.

I would rather the Republic have a commercial system in place for access to low earth orbit, insuring I actually GET to space in some form of a timely manner. You have about what 24-35 Americans getting into space per year? After 50 years? The program of record is calling for two lunar launches per year, that equals 8 people and 2-4 more people at that ISS. So we can look forward to 10 – 12 people in space per year.. ya that constellation is really forward looking and opening space up for more astronauts. We are REGRESSING!

As an astronuat I would be playing the lottery and hope to win the powerball, and buying a seat from SpaceX to a Bigelow station, my odds of getting there would be better then trying to achieve orbit with NASA.

I find statements like this very funny.

You dont think being on the Moon with outside views mostly by HDTV and even when one goes “outside” one goes to the same scenary is going to keep someones imagination active who gets bored on ISS?

Your comments are “fan boy” comments. Space is about doing something constructive about accomplishing task, not about being entertained.

LOL

Robert G. Oler