Obama Speaks

[Urwumpe]

Obama...please...listen to the words of Chris Kraft. He is bloody right about the HLV topic.

 

[Quick_Nick]

Just got home, watching NASA TV now. I'm guessing it's a replay since it's an hour after the OP said he'd speak.

 

[Ark]

Didn't catch the speech, but from you guy's notes it looks like there's a lot of good stuff. Hopefully it'll actually be funded, unlike Constellation.

My only concern is that all the dates have been pushed back another 5-10 years into the same relative timespans of Constellation when it was announced, and look how that turned out.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Well, I, for one, can see the future & excitement in Obama's plan. And so I dare to dream. Will you?

Although, I would like to see a Shuttle extension, because the ISS needs downmass capability, and the Shuttle is the only vehicle that will be able to provide it until Dragon is ready - and who knows when that'll be.

 

[Urwumpe]

Well, I, for one, can see the future & excitement in Obama's plan. And so I dare to dream. Will you?

No, I see the USA stuck in LEO for another 30 years. The plan is a return to nothingness, under the pressure of the same people who failed every good idea in the US space program in the past 30 years. I don't support it, but I am just a Euro. maybe a US citizen feels different about a plan, that repeats old errors and has all the cool mile stones at least five years after Obama is out of office.

 

[Andy44]

And the national space policy soap opera continues...

I'll believe it when I see it, and I'll see it when the money magically appears to pay for it.

 

[anemazoso]

So wait, we cancelled the HLV that was already designed and are starting with a new one?

Did I miss something?

The idea is to develop through research one that would be cheaper as the Ares V was turning out to be most expensive launcher ever created and we need to reduce launch costs not grow them.

That being said it does seem like we should at least use some of the elements like the 5-seg SRB since it's already developed. I guess they (NASA/OSTP) are interested in developing a kerosene first stage which I don't understand either. Such HLV research should be directed to flyback and aerospike in my opinion. I find myself confused and disapointed some what.

 

[T.Neo]

Wait, Ares V development was completed at the time of cancellation?

I'm sure they had quite a bit of work done on it, but I don't think "already designed" is appropriate for the stage of development the vehicle was in.

 

[Hielor]

Wait, Ares V development was completed at the time of cancellation?

I'm sure they had quite a bit of work done on it, but I don't think "already designed" is appropriate for the stage of development the vehicle was in.

Design and development are not the same.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Photos of President Obama's visit:

http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov/search.cfm

www.nasa.gov/multimedia/imagegallery/obama_ksc_gallery.html

 

[Donamy]

Well, scrap the side-mount idea.

 

[4throck]

Don't think anything will come out of it. Just vague intentions really.

The Orion capsule has morphed into a ISS lifeboat... well, how does it deorbit? I think you need a propulsion module for that. And how many astronauts will it carry? I'd bet 3. How does it get to the ISS? Does it do an autodocking with the station? At least that will be a first for NASA (automated docking to a space station) if I'm not mistaken...

The asteroid mission will need an habitation and a propulsion module.
And the Heavy Lift Vehicle will be used for what ? For the modules that don't exist?

I think that this situation clearly shows the wrong direction taken after Apollo. Russia, Europe and China (and other in the near future) have continued to develop modular systems that can be upgraded with current technology and are flexible to use.
Nasa has stuck with a complex Shuttle system that can't be used for anything else than LEO and is not upgradeable.

 

[jedidia]

. There will be a crewed mission to an asteroid in 2025.

err... how exactly is getting a manned mission to an asteroid easier than getting one to the moon?

Maybe catch one when it comes close enough to the earth (although asteroids passing within the orbit of the moon sounds like outch!-close), but the delta-v expenditure would still be a lot higher, or am I just stupid?

 

[Urwumpe]

err... how exactly is getting a manned mission to an asteroid easier than getting one to the moon?

Maybe catch one when it comes close enough to the earth (although asteroids passing within the orbit of the moon sounds like outch!-close), but the delta-v expenditure would still be a lot higher, or am I just stupid?

The landing would be far cheaper, but otherwise, it would be even slightly more than just for flying to the moon. The spacecraft launched to the asteroid could be far smaller in LEO, than for a lunar landing.

 

[RisingFury]

Obama just announced:
. A new HLV will be developed by 2015.
. There will be a crewed mission to an asteroid in 2025.
. After that, we will go on to Mars & it's Moons.

I know a lot of people are sceptical of this, but I have only one thing to say:
AWESOME!!! I want in!!!!

Damn! I hope so! I just hope he spends enough cash and the programme gets far enough to not get canceled by the next administration.

 

[T.Neo]

Design and development are not the same.

You need to develop something before you have a good design of it.

 

[ar81]

err... how exactly is getting a manned mission to an asteroid easier than getting one to the moon?

I landed on Phobos, it was very cheap for me.:hello:

 

[anemazoso]

Don't think anything will come out of it. Just vague intentions really.

The Orion capsule has morphed into a ISS lifeboat... well, how does it deorbit? I think you need a propulsion module for that. And how many astronauts will it carry? I'd bet 3. How does it get to the ISS? Does it do an autodocking with the station? At least that will be a first for NASA (automated docking to a space station) if I'm not mistaken...

The asteroid mission will need an habitation and a propulsion module.
And the Heavy Lift Vehicle will be used for what ? For the modules that don't exist?

The Orion being developed includes the service module. And considering NASA no longer needs to worry about supporting 4-6 people for extended periods of time within the Orion it is very easy to have a 4-6 person capable casule as a life boat only.

Since the HLV is decades away (sadly) it is pointless to speculate on the nature of it's payloads.

 

[4throck]

The Orion being developed includes the service module. And considering NASA no longer needs to worry about supporting 4-6 people for extended periods of time within the Orion it is very easy to have a 4-6 person capable casule as a life boat only...

I stand corrected regarding the service module, and that way perhaps we are looking at a capsule capable of +3 person ISS / LEO short mission and 3 persons longer missions. I can see some logic in that... nevertheless I think that a capable payload/habitation module must be developed to allow extended mission (asteroid) or EVAs for example.
Actually, you can just EVA to the asteroid from an airlock ;-) no need to actually land your craft there. That would be fun in Orbiter ;-)

 

[docabn]

Anymore I'm hoping private industry takes up the cause. I pray for the day that someone finds some sort of unobtanium that can make a lot of cash and can only be found or built outside of LEO.
A 49er gold (uobtanium) rush to the moon would best boost R&D best imo.