Re: Space Vision on Trial

From: Rand Simberg (simberg.interglobal_at_org.trash)
Date: 10/19/04 

Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 13:48:58 GMT

On 19 Oct 2004 06:28:48 -0700, in a place far, far away,
mwhittingt@sprynet.com (Mark Whittington) made the phosphor on my
monitor glow in such a way as to indicate that:

>I muse on a "debate" that was actually a trial of the President's
>space vision. Along the way I warn of the awful price of political
>ambition.
>
>http://www.washingtondispatch.com/article_10350.shtml

"The President’s Moon, Mars, and Beyond vision is now well known to
those who follow the US space program. In essence, it would transform
NASA from a high tech space taxi service operating the space shuttle
to a modern day Corps of Discovery, sending the first human
expeditions back to the Moon, eventually to Mars, and then to other
destinations in the Solar System. Routine transport of people and
cargo to and from space would be transferred to private sector
companies that are even now being formed in the wake of Burt Rutan’s
successful flights of the privately built, privately operated
SpaceShipOne."

The last sentence would seem to be wishful thinking on your part.
Cargo, yes, but NASA has no plans to buy tickets from the private
sector for passengers. The CEV is not just a vehicle for going beyond
earth orbit--it's planned to be the means for astronauts to get into
space from the earth as well, atop an expendable, either a variant of
EELV or on a new Shuttle-derived vehicle.

The Aldridge Report didn't require NASA to purchase tickets from the
private sector, and until someone does, they will continue to spend
their money developing a new, expensive way to get government
employees into orbit.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Space Vision on Trial
    ... >>space vision. ... > NASA from a high tech space taxi service operating the space shuttle ... > Cargo, yes, but NASA has no plans to buy tickets from the private ... The CEV is not just a vehicle for going beyond ...
    (sci.space.policy)
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  • Re: VAX software available for download
    ... I seriously doubt that any business would be willing to ... > purchased one of the first licenses offered in the US for a private ... It is impossible to compete with NASA which has pretty ... That's a tough business model to compete with. ...
    (comp.sys.dec)
  • Re: Space Leaders Work To Replace Lunar Base With Manned Asteroid Missions
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