New NASA Space Vehicle Orion Launches in 2014
erco
Posts: 20,259
WOW, it's not long until the first unmanned test flight: http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-spaceship-comes-together-2014-test-launch-205423242.html
Comments
It's great to see stuff like this!!
What I am getting at is, is the private sector experienced enough to trial this stuff? I'd hate to see NASA's budget cut due to any sort of private sector failures.
As I said previously I don't want to bring any negativity into this as I am really excited about this new venture and because of that I don't want to see any hiccups.
Perhaps as the article suggests NASA are being clever here by distancing themselves from preliminary tests to concentrate on deeper exploration projects thus taking any risks for themselves out of the equation?
It's nice to know that NASA's own vehicles will be used to launch for the moon etc and reading that the capsule is larger (4 astronauts instead of 3) is the rocket used going to be more powerful and larger than the Saturn 5's? if so i'd love to see one of those taking off in person!!
The ULA is a Boeing/Lockheed joint venture. Boeing was involved in the Gemini and Apollo modules, and the Saturn V. Lockheed was heavy into the Mars exploration projects. Not quite Andy Griffith and Salvage-1.
EDIT: The final launch vehicle may not have to be as large as the Saturn V. Looks like they cut down the weight by about a third. I'll see if I can re-dig up the article.
'Riding a nuclear bomb, like Slim Pickins in Doctor Strangelove:
Yeee Haaaaa!
-Phil
Where do you get your news?
NASA has had cuts, but it's never been shut down. Otherwise how would have the Mars Curiosity rover gotten there? It wasn't launched by Burger King.
As for NASA and private contractors, NASA doesn't build rockets. The job has gone to government contractors, just as the US Pentagon doesn't make tanks and bombs. There are extremely few technology programs actually run by the government. A notable exception is the National Energy Technology Laboratory, the lone entity among 17 national labs that is both owned and operated by the US government (and even then many of the workers are contracted and not directly employed by the federal government). All the rest are operated by contractors.
I do admit that being in Taiwan for 18 years keeps me out of the loop on a lot of news. But the general perception here was NASA was being shut down with the end of the space shuttle program. We were even sending people to the international space station via Russian launches and Virgin founder is building transport for reaching space stations.
Maybe the next Mars probe will be done by Burger King. After all, Red Bull has joined in space research.
My favorite private enterprise project was the Iridium satellite system to cover the globel in satellite telephone coverage. It went bankrupt, but is still operating. I get the feeling it is similar to Howard Huges Gomar Explorer - a cover for 'the company'.
And yes, their will always be Livermore Labs with all its mysterious ways. The government is not really going to have them go private, though they may be managed by ARCO or Westinghouse or some other corporation that is 'stronglly American'.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-57376406-264/end-of-an-era-nasa-shuts-down-its-last-mainframe/
Privatizing government has the feeling that government is disappearing and corporations are becoming the real institutions of control.
That is why I think NASA with their track record should have overall control. i.e. the manufacturers supply and NASA tests and approves.
Not saying NASA is engaged in crazy stunts. Just saying that fearless excitement is short-lived, one way or another.
-Phil
The Mars programs have always been under the civilian activities of NASA. NASA was created at the same time as the military space program (Space Act), and there's yet a lesser known covert agency, but NASA is the only one that currently handles launches beyond orbital space because the others don't have this capability. They are the ones who work with Caltech JPL, a civilian contractor, who has mission responsibility over projects like MSL. Sorry, but comments like "NASA in many ways has been just a public relations promotion" is simply absurd. I wonder how you consider things like landing teams of astronauts on the moon, and returning them safely, or launching still-working spacecraft beyond the Solar System, as just PR!
Maybe it's imprecise news reporting, ignorance, or something else, but the aging issues with the the Space Shuttle have been known for many years, and in fact the fleet outlasted its planned life expectancy. The concern has been that it was becoming cost prohibitive to keep them flying and still provide a measure of safety for the astronauts. Columbia was a wakeup call. The new launch vehicles would not be finished in time for a seamless rollover, but at no time has it ever been contemplated to just shut down NASA and let others take over.
Had to rant and the only one home is the dog who doesn't care.
John Abshier
My 75 year-old friend says "At my age, I don't even buy green bananas".
I simply couldn't get over the image of me tripping. I mean it's a freaking boulder field! And supposing I didn't trip, I'd still have a 20 minute ride to civilization while clinging to a nylon strap, 5000' agl.
No, I'm ashamed to say I opted to see the Prop 2 come out. And my children get married. And the grandkids arrive.
The Mercury-to-Apollo programs consumed much more of the federal budget -- up to 4.5% during the height of the Apollo program. That's many times what it is these days, which is less than one percent. It's the lowest now since it's been before Kennedy took office. The nation was up for the challenge then. Can you imagine the shouting and crying if Congress or the president wanted to spend that much money today? Ain't gonna happen.
Tell your dog he needs to pay more taxes. Then he can get Tang-flavored dog bones, courtesy of NASA's PR.
-- Gordon
Silly Gordon. All doggies are anti-space travel, ever since Russia's dog Laika was left to die in space.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laika
The US lost a few monkeys (the Alberts) along the way.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Able_and_Baker
-Phil
If only the years hadn't caught up with my. At 64, going on 65, I suspect that I couldn't not handle the launch g-forces.
As far as being plucked off a mountian....
There was a time when I was walking steel on tall office buildings as a union carpenter. It was a blast to do a job that was dangerous and physically demanding. But the time is past. And I have had to see a few good carpenters buried from falling off buildings along the way.
NASA is now a science public relations outreach by the US government. But when we went to the moon, it was much more than that.
I'll never get to outer space. Not only am I too old and too poor, I would have to stand in line with far too many that are willing to wait longer than I might live.
People are prone to doing nearly anything for an adventure.