Comments on The Conquest of Space: The Wrong Stuff

When I got the news about the cancellation of Cons...

2010-02-11T00:00:16.064-08:00

When I got the news about the cancellation of Constellation program I thought "oh no. Again they're doing this" and you're right. It's a big mistake.

China will take the lead, now Russia wants to charge more America for space transport to the ISS. America cuts from one side, but will have to spend on other things.

America spends a LOT in the army. OK, I understand the security concern and the leading role to protect themselves from any possible conflict. But can't any US President realize the importance of space exploration and manned missions?

Mike, Thanks for the return comment. You're ...

2010-02-05T10:48:47.794-08:00

Mike,

Thanks for the return comment. You're a good man and I value both your writing and your critical thinking. I agree with much of your reply, and think that it's a sad state of affairs when one party is willing to bash a commander in chief's directives, no matter which direction they decide to go.

I'd have been happy with the concept of the Ares V, and under the budget laid out, there's no reason why the work done and money spent won't give us that exact spacecraft in 3 years. HLV is all about using the shuttle fuel tank/SRB combo with a payload/main engine that doesn't have to be able to fly back for a landing, isn't it? We've got the technology, and the plans are there. The new budget supposedly gets to that part of the project a few years sooner than the VSE did.

In our current political/financial climate, there's no way the CIC could do anything that looked like "more spending" on our manned space program (although the annual budget was increased). Hell, he's getting handed his lunch on EVERY proposal, nominee, and directive that comes out of the White House as it is, even if it's something that the minority party has dreamed about for years!

I think he did right via the Augustine Commission, and if he can manage to get reelected in 3 years, and if we don't see another total meltdown of some sort (that's the BIG if), we will be much better positioned to take the critically important step of getting boots on the ground, on Mars. Until then, the science and robotics IS fully funded. More probes like Cassini mean a wealth of knowledge for mankind.

We just need to keep the faith for a few years, more...

Bennett, I don't know that our opinions are ...

2010-02-04T15:28:27.821-08:00

Bennett,

I don't know that our opinions are too far apart. I would be happy to concede LEO to SpaceX. They're innovative, dynamic, and have a shot at making it work. They have a lot more testing, have got to get a man-rated stamp from NASA, but they'll get there. As for the rest, my biggest peeve is the lack of vision. There's no place to aim for, no target. The tasks NASA will work on are all things that can easily be cut. If it takes too long, costs too much, it's susceptible. Without a mission, you won't get the best and brightest, and you won't engage the public.

An HLV sooner? Well, ARES V was already pushing the tail end of the decade and that was with a solid design and tested components.

I hope you're right. I really do. I'll be excited to see the Dragon fly, but much more excited when NASA gets the funding and the direction it needs. I'm not as hung up on the going to Moon or Mars now thing. I'm more interested in building a sustainable space program. I think those objectives are outcomes of a solid program. That looks to be a long ways off.

It's been interesting reading the comments on various news sites. One thing for sure. It's a divisive issue. There are strong opinions on both sides.

I agree with you. This new program is actually a s...

2010-02-04T11:46:31.825-08:00

I agree with you. This new program is actually a stealth Mars First program. Bolden has talked about developing technology that can get us places faster. Since it only takes a few days to get to the Moon, he must be clearly referring to Mars. That's why I believe that this new policy is really a stealth Mars First policy.

Abandoning the Moon is a huge mistake both strategically and economically. We could end up deficit spending attempting to send men to Mars while the Chinese are making billions charging Americans on other space tourist to visit their lunar bases!

Sorry Mike, but I disagree with this one. I know ...

2010-02-04T09:44:53.988-08:00

Sorry Mike, but I disagree with this one. I know you wanted to see the "Vision" get us back to the moon, so did I, but it just wasn't going to happen with Ares for reasons the Augustine Commission clearly laid out.

The HL:V will happen sooner under the new directives, SpaceX is stepping up with the Falcon9 launches this year, and the things NASA will be working on will get us to Mars sooner than Bush's plan would have gotten s to the moon.

Take heart, good man, and don't believe what FOX News tells you about the NASA budget!