Unaffordable and Unsustainable, NASA’s failing Earth-to-orbit Transportation Strategy |
Unaffordable and Unsustainable, NASA’s failing Earth-to-orbit Transportation Strategy |
Guest_DonPMitchell_* |
Jul 25 2006, 04:11 AM
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Guests |
The Space Frontier Foundation has gotten a lot of attention from the mainstream press with their latest Whitepaper.
They advocate a more extensive support fo free enterprise and entrepreneurship in the American space program. They suggest that NASA should no longer be allowed to develop and own new launch vehicles, and that CEV and CLV development should be cancelled. They also advise that NASA rely on Altas 5 and Delta 4 rockets, and transfer more funding to the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services program. I cannot find the actual white paper on the SFF website. I don't know if SFF is particularly professional (certainly their gaudy website doesn't look it), but I have to agree with some of their points. |
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Guest_DonPMitchell_* |
Jul 26 2006, 09:03 PM
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#2
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Guests |
I think it depends on what you call space exploration. Would a corporation fund the MER rovers on Mars? Not likely, unless they were some future terriforming venture (as we discussed in another thread). But I can see LEO transport and space stations being privately funded.
I believe SFF is advocating policies that would turn over more control to private enterprise in areas where they are ready and willing to take it. For example, they are saying that NASA should buy LEO services to ISS from companies like Boeing and Lockheed, instead of developing CEV BLock 1. But they are not saying that NASA should stop development of CEV Block 2, the Moon and planetary vehicle. |
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