Strange is it not? We get some small backing of commercial procurement of space services from the current NASA administration and what do Republican’s do? Why they back the same old Socialist space approach that came into being to match the Russian Socialist model in the Moon race.
Then they try to hang the monstrosity of a super heavy lift vehicle on NASA… but this time around the parentage is quite clear. Certain Senators designed this vehicle, or at least set the parameters. NASA did not even want the thing, or at least the people at the top did not. (Admittedly, there are a lot of folk in the lower hierarchy and at the Centers who have lived their lives in a ‘government knows best’ cocoon and who think the solution to every problem in exploration is a bigger rocket.)
The current system is an utter bollocks. The Senate insisted NASA come up with a design; and behind the scenes it was made clear that it must contain solid rocket engines made in Utah. It also includes features that ensure an ongoing standing army to service it in Florida and crowds of workers for Tennessee and Texas…
It will never fly. The sole and single purpose of this vehicle is to employ people in those States. When the unbearable cost of this ridiculous Senatorial design becomes apparent to all, it will be cancelled. There will then be hearings, hand wringing… and they will try to foist a ‘new’ program on us to keep the pork barrel jobs going.
This frankenstein will cost $30B over its life cycle. It will fly every only once in every one or two years; it will require a standing army that will be training and working and getting paid in the mean timel; it will cost perhaps $2B per flight; it will suck up most of a declining NASA budget at the expense of everything else; and it will not take a human being into space until 2021.
Yes, folks, this is your Senate at work. Not NASA… this time at least.
In this environment any politician who didn’t fight like a banshee for local jobs would soon be an ex politician.
See you around 6 at the usual place.
As JFK once misspoke, “we are sending the biggest ever payroll into space.” You can’t blame the congress-scum, as in the story of the scorpion and the frog, it’s in their nature. The only way to reform NASA is to abolish it.
There are Right and Left Socialists(or statists)
Can be seen here: http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World's_Smallest_Political_Quiz
via:http://oinsurgente.org/2011/09/22/worlds-smallest-political-quiz/
John K is correct.
And yet, after the Senate rocket is cancelled, no one will ever entrust NASA to build another space vehicle again…
NASA indeed has not managed to fly any new HSF hardware since the shuttle (I´m not counting ISS modules; but again that is hardly an inspiring story). There is a long list of failed and abandoned NASA projects, but congress bears some responsibility for that as well. If NASA is to be crucified, let it at least be over a vehicle they believe in.
We’re still going to have Falcon Heavy in this role, right?
Someone still needs to fund the FH. Elon won´t build it only out of the kindness of his heart, and there is little prospect of commercial payloads of that size.
Actually you have your rockets confused. The Falcon Heavy, at 50-60 tons lift, is due to fly within the next year or so. The rocket under question is a super heavy with the tag of ‘Falcon X’.
“there is little prospect of commercial payloads of that size.”
Then please explain to me why it should be built at all, Bruno.
NASA should never have been created in the first place.
If the government had to get involved in space – it should have been left the the military (which NASA had to depend on anyway – after the failure of the civilian rockets in the 1950s).
As for the Senate – I was under the impression it was controlled by the Demcrats and has been since the elections of 2006.
Although, yes, clearly some Republican Senators are trying to get jobs for their States.
Whilst NASA exists it will be used for this.
Another reason why NASA should be abolished.
Let private companies engage in space travel – at their own expense.
The only reason for government involvement is military – and thus government involvment should be confined to the military.
Of course if the miltary wish to use private contractors……
But (also of course) there will be the same political problems.