Bad News For The Space Program

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Trailblazer
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Bad News For The Space Program

Post by Trailblazer »

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id ... _article=1

Hopefully the programs will be restored without too much delay after the next election sets things right.
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Re: Bad News For The Space Program

Post by WTF »

Trailblazer wrote:http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id ... _article=1

Hopefully the programs will be restored without too much delay after the next election sets things right.
What the hell is going on? This is total B.S. :x
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Spaceman Spiff
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Re: Bad News For The Space Program

Post by Spaceman Spiff »

I know it sucks but look at the economic mess we are in. We need to focus on creating more jobs here on the Earth!
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Re: Bad News For The Space Program

Post by RebelRockets »

The space program has always created thousands of jobs. Engineers, electricians, chemists, welders, mechanics, draftsmen, electronics technicians, machinists, computer operators, painters, "rocket scientists", etc., plus jobs for all the suppliers and manufacturers of the materials. Granted, the bills for these services have been pretty expensive, and they need to budget them down without resorting to outsourcing them out of the country. Money going to someone performing an actual job is better spent than the same money going into an unemployment check or welfare.

Early in the space program people objected to money being "shot off into space". The money never left the ground, much of it went into payroll checks. Only the raw materials were shot into space.
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Tim Chen
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Re: Bad News For The Space Program

Post by Tim Chen »

This is horrible news. How shortsighted can people be?

All the things that people take for granted these days and can't live without (computers, ipods, cellphones, videogames, GPS, etc., etc.) all trace their development to the moon program of the 1960's and the "space race". Other than military R&D, the space program has given the world more innovations than any other program in history. These politicians have their heads up their butts!

You want to stimulate the economy? Give us a goal like JFK did! The people will reap the benefits for the next 40 years or more, just like Apollo did!!!

I'm pissed. Is there any way we can recall all these dorks and have a special election to get some intelligent people in charge? THIS SUCKS!
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Mark Chen
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Re: Bad News For The Space Program

Post by Mark Chen »

I'm so mad I could spit nails. This is the most backward thinking administration in history. Tens of thousands of people are going to lose jobs because of this and without a goal for NASA there will be no incentive and no appeal to learn science and engineering for future generations. We're going to subcontract out to China, Russia, and India, and not even be a space capable nation.

Why??!?!?!

Is there a petition we can sign to "abort" this decision?
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rockets-in-brighton
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Re: Bad News For The Space Program

Post by rockets-in-brighton »

Statement from Buzz Aldrin: A New Direction in Space

Today I wish to endorse strongly the President’s new direction for NASA. As an Apollo astronaut, I know the importance of always pushing new frontiers as we explore space. The truth is, that we have already been to the Moon – some 40 years ago. A near-term focus on lowering the cost of access to space and on developing key, cutting-edge technologies to take us further, faster, is just what our Nation needs to maintain its position as the leader in space exploration for the rest of this century. We need to be in this for the long haul, and this program will allow us to again be pushing the boundaries to achieve new and challenging things beyond Earth. I hope NASA will embrace this new direction as much as I do, and help us all continue to use space exploration to drive prosperity and innovation right here on Earth.

I also believe the steps we will be taking following the President’s direction will best position NASA and other space agencies to send humans to Mars and other exciting destinations as quickly as possible. To do that, we will need to support many types of game-changing technologies NASA and its partners will be developing. Mars is the next frontier for humankind, and NASA will be leading the way there if we aggressively support the President’s plans.

Finally, I am excited to think that the development of commercial capabilities to send humans into low earth orbit will likely result in so many more earthlings being able to experience the transformative power of spaceflight. I can personally attest to the fact that the experience results in a different perspective on life on Earth, and on our future as a species. I applaud the President for working to make this dream a reality.

Buzz Aldrin

Feb. 1, 2010
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rockets-in-brighton
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Re: Bad News For The Space Program

Post by rockets-in-brighton »

Cheers
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Re: Bad News For The Space Program

Post by Tim Chen »

I must have I read a different article on the cancelled Constellation program than Buzz read.
I nothing I read indicated that a gigantic new program to send people to Mars is going to replace Constellation.

The Moon is a better immediate goal than Mars. It gives us a good place to test Mars exploration equipment, and the Moon has resources like water (Oxygen and Hydrogen) and Helium3 that we can use, low gravity, a radio shielded "dark side" for astronomical observatories, etc.

I support cheap and commercially supported space programs. But space tourism and beamed solar power will only take us so far. I think Buzz is either paid off, or he covets being one of a dozen humans to set foot on the Moon and he has a vested interested in maintaining his exclusivity. No Moon missions, no threats to his standing.

Scrapping a program we have invested $9B in already seems like throwing the baby out with the bathwater.
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Spaceman Spiff
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Re: Bad News For The Space Program

Post by Spaceman Spiff »

Actually, I was reading today that we were going to use the money saved on constellation to develop new high speed engines so we can send probes out on more exploration missions faster. This is a good thing. Not all is bad here, we have to wait and see what the plans for the future might be.
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rockets-in-brighton
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Re: Bad News For The Space Program

Post by rockets-in-brighton »

Firstly, be very careful what you say about Buzz Aldrin, he's been known to take a swing at people whose opinion he doesn't respect :)

It may be that as an industry insider he has a clearer idea of where things are going. On the Mars topic I do know he has been strongly advocating this for a long time and I'd guess this was a high profile opportunity to do more of the same.
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Re: Bad News For The Space Program

Post by Tim Chen »

rockets-in-brighton wrote:Firstly, be very careful what you say about Buzz Aldrin, he's been known to take a swing at people whose opinion he doesn't respect :)

It may be that as an industry insider he has a clearer idea of where things are going. On the Mars topic I do know he has been strongly advocating this for a long time and I'd guess this was a high profile opportunity to do more of the same.

I think we need clearly defined goals for NASA and some assurances that the money will be there for them. Without a goal to shoot for then it will meander aimlessly around looking for things to do to busy itself with and then drop them in favor of the next politically popular proposal due to money problems. Look what happened to the X33.

We need to set a goal and that will make all the difference. Killing off the moon program removes a goal and now NASA is like a ship with no rudder.
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rockets-in-brighton
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Re: Bad News For The Space Program

Post by rockets-in-brighton »

I don't think so.

"Most important, we are not ending our ambitions to explore space. In order to explore new frontiers, we are launching a vigorous new technology development and test program that will pursue game-changing technology development that can take us further and faster and more affordably into space."

...

"An Exciting New Direction for NASA

NASA’s new strategic approach will spawn exciting developments in research and technology that will make future spaceflight more affordable and sustainable, inspire a new generation of Americans, and increase our knowledge of the solar system and the universe of which we are a part.

This investment will ensure that future space explorers will have tools, capabilities and knowledge that we can only dream about today."

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/420990main_FY_2 ... b_2010.pdf
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Re: Bad News For The Space Program

Post by RaZias »

They are developping ion engines, this is crucial because it will travel faster and it can abort the trip at middle of it if something goes wrong and then return home, with the rockets the solution would have to take a gravitational slingshot.

You have also to consider the need to make 02 and H20 from lunar soil.

And they are also creating anti-radiation technology, like a shell with 2 layers, between them there will be a ionized gas that will work as our ozone layer.

I want to say that is better to create new technologies instead of giving fast steps with the current ones.

The Mars exploration will be massivly difficult, because they will need a rocket to get out of there and Mars has 40% of our gravity (...I think).
They will need to have a rocket of about the 1/2 of the size of the one that putted the first man in the space..., so you need to put a rocket there before and later send the persons to the planet.
They even consider making the own fuel there so you don´t have to transport it from Earth.

Maybe the sky-hook or a space elevator for the next time ?
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Re: Bad News For The Space Program

Post by Spaceman Spiff »

With the retirement of the space shuttle, we really do need a heavy lift class rocket. Otherwise, we will never be able to replace the ISS or the Hubble with anything barely similar. We need the big rockets from constellation to do anything worth doing. That's why this sucks so bad.
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