Re: How to be immune from budget cuts

> >The problem is that there are things that would work, and much more
> >cost effectively. And they're doing it with other peoples' money.
>
> I'm beginning to think you're right. I've seen some proposals here
> that don't strike me as particularly practical -- pin the program on
> SpaceX, use small boosters rather than developing an HLV. But I don't
> see any reason we couldn't use the Delta or Atlas for the CEV, thereby
> saving most of the $5 billion or so allocated for its development,
> with SpaceX an option if their program is successful and they can
> offer lower launch costs.

Seems very reasonable. The current Stick/CEV is bloated for the purpose of
getting a 4-man capsule into space. By using EELV-class launchers you gain
the advantage of redundancy if one launcher develops problems.

> Unless someone can make a good safety
> argument against it, It seems to me we could save $100 million per
> moon mission by lofting the CEV on the HLV, as you propose.

Plus there won't be pressure to launch before the upper stage boils off the
liquid hydrogen.

> And it
> seems to me that we could save a lot of the $15-20 billion development
> cost of the CEV and HLV by sharing development with the Europeans and
> Russians. That would leave $10 billion or so for the development of
> advanced vehicles.

Sounds good in principle, but in practice it failed with ISS. I think we'd
spend more money with delays and design compromises.

>



.

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