Re: Could the shuttle come back ?

"Jeff Findley" <jeff.findley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:8b5d7$4a895935$927a2cda$17726@xxxxxxxxxxx

"John Doe" <jdoe@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
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http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE57D45Z20090814?sp=true

Basically, the Augustine Commission is said to be ready to report that
the current plans and budgets will not yield a trip to the Moon, even
less to Mars.

It is said that they have already spent 9 billion on that
CEV/Orion/Constellation/Ares-I stuff.

It has been said in this newsgroup some years ago that it would cost
roughly 2 bilion to build new shuttles that would be the same moldlines,
but with improved systems.

Unfortunately with many of the same flaws. This doesn't fix any SRB or ET
issues (including shedding foam impacting the orbiter).


I'm going to go radical here and say, "so what?"

Seriously, I'm not convinced an OV-20x is such a bad idea. Treat the last
100+ as a development program and build a new orbiter to the same moldline.

Using modern materials, if possible cut mass 5-10,000 lbs. Use that to add
things like additional sensors, cameras to monitor things like the leading
edge, etc. In addition use some of the mass savings to design things to be
easier to service.

So net weight wouldn't change, or even if it did, the loss would go towards
making a safer, more reliable, easier to service craft.

As for the SRB and ET, things are improved. They will never be 100% safe,
but we're building a better and better database on every flight. Seems
shame to throw that all away for something else that will suffer many of the
same teething problems.

Note, if I thought that NASA was actually going to build something that was
re-usable and had a high flight rate, I'd run from the shuttle. But as long
as NASA seems to be on the path of continuing a low-flight rate,
semi-reusable platform, I just can't support the current plan. I'd rather
see a Shuttle OV-20x than Ares I or V.

(actually thining about it, I'd go with OV-20x and build a reusable
Shuttle-C. That would be MY path back to the Moon.)


If Orion won't be of any use for Moon/Russia, wouldn't it be cheaper to
just build new shuttles with evolved systems but roughly the same thing ?

Not if NASA is running the program. The proposal to build new orbiters to
existing moldlines was by the contractor, not NASA. If such a program
were to go forward, NASA would "get involved" and start throwing
requirements at the program. Costs would quickly balloon and schedules
would slip.

This will happen regardless.


Or does Congress really expect Branson's Virgin Galactic to provide
regular scheduled service between JFK and the space station ?

Branson's Virgin Galactic has yet to fly suborbital tourist flights. They
have absolutely zero near term plans of supplying orbital passenger
flights to ISS.

Oh Phsaw. Put a trapeze hanging below ISS and tell folks to grab it on the
way by!



That said, the Augustine Commission is coming to the conclusion that NASA
should be buying commercial flights to ISS (first cargo and possibly
crew). This is the right direction to go. NASA's Orion design is overkill
for LEO flights. Commercial providers can focus on providing ISS delivery
services without all the "NASA specific" extras.

Ultimately, I suspect you're right. I think though the beast that it is, if
you want a work space and a crew in an orbit the ISS isn't, something like
the shuttle is still very much an option.



Jeff
--
"Take heart amid the deepening gloom
that your dog is finally getting enough cheese" - Deteriorata - National
Lampoon




--
Greg Moore
Ask me about lily, an RPI based CMC.


.

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