Nasa calling it quits!!!!!

[GA_Boater]

Re: Nasa calling it quits!!!!!

I may be a science fiction fan but I firmly believe it is man's destinay to reach out to the stars.

Going back to the early days of SF, some writers vivid imaginations have become reality in many cases.

Back to the NASA vein - NASA is a coordinator, funding source and think tank. Contractors form partnerships to turn NASA ideas into reality. NASA doesn't build anything, they just write the checks.

I think it was wrong for the Bush administration to kill the shuttle without having a solid plan for replacement. That's my opinion and that's as political as I'm going to get.

 

[jgriner]

Re: Nasa calling it quits!!!!!

What is wrong with nascar looking rockets? And why shouldn't the private sector have a crack at the research and development and the possibility of making money instead of the government losing money? Not sure I like the private sector taking over, but I do see some merit to it ...

1+
the private sector has already come up with a space vehicle that enters that atmospheric slow enough that they don't have worry about heat tiles.
this would be much cheaper and easier, that the gov vehicles where you have to get out after every launch and check the heat tiles for damage, just in case some FOAM hit one of the tiles.

 

[levittownnick]

Re: Nasa calling it quits!!!!!

Going back to the early days of SF, some writers vivid imaginations have become reality in many cases.

Back to the NASA vein - NASA is a coordinator, funding source and think tank. Contractors form partnerships to turn NASA ideas into reality. NASA doesn't build anything, they just write the checks.

I think it was wrong for the Bush administration to kill the shuttle without having a solid plan for replacement. That's my opinion and that's as political as I'm going to get.

The problem I have is that the private sector is only interested in profit, in the past almost all of the great advances in medicine & everything else came from Govt research. Private industry most often will not put there money into research for research sake, which is where the great advances came from, making our country great. Bottom line is that I like it the way it was. I think the above quote from GA_Boater has it right.

 

[QC]

Re: Nasa calling it quits!!!!!

Careful guys. Coming very close to a political system debate. I know, because I want to join in

 

[Tail_Gunner]

Re: Nasa calling it quits!!!!!

Well Nasa's record on development since the space shuttle has been a bit lack luster. If you took the amount of money invested vs return it would shock any normal person. It is my personal opinion that Nasa is a private play ground for a elite few and hampered by far to many rules and reg's to make any steps forward.....

Its not just Nasa however look at the Automotive industry trust me they are undergoing massive changes due to the changing enviorment. I can speak to Ford as a example since since about 2005 they have inovated there entire product lineup at least 5 times and its still continuing..It is so fast as a salesperson it almost impossible to stay current with the new development and be fluent with cars that are just 2-3 yrs old...yes the names are the same but the tech is vastly different...Today Ford can deploy a car that will drive itself down the road it exist's in some of the cars that are on the road right now

1. They can park themselves with no driver input.
2. They can sense cross traffic and alert you.
3. They can sense if your aprroaching a oncoming car to fast
4. They can sense if your drifting into another lane
5. They can sense and correct if your vehicle attitude is leaning to hard in a corner.
6. One can talk to there car and tell it where to go
7. Use a 3.5 v6 motor that can out pull 6.0 litre gas enngine's

When i am trying to sell there car cusotmer's shutdown they are overwhelmed by the tech......And have to come back to there dealership to learn how to use and understand it.....OK enough of the Ford commerical....Now I am talking about Found On The Road Dead...Ford. They were forced to innovate or die and they are stepping up with tech and mfg processes that were unheard of just 5 yrs ago.

Privatizing Nasa and having someone at the helm who will lead that orginization...bring accountabiltiy would more than probably...well if Ford can make dramatic advances think of what Nasa might be capable of doing or going....Maybe things of dreams.

 

[beason]

Re: Nasa calling it quits!!!!!

1+
the private sector has already come up with a space vehicle that enters that atmospheric slow enough that they don't have worry about heat tiles.
this would be much cheaper and easier, that the gov vehicles where you have to get out after every launch and check the heat tiles for damage, just in case some FOAM hit one of the tiles.

those tiles have a consistency of a sugar cube, with a slightly harder outer shell. Kind of reminds me of those green foam blocks florists use for arraignments. they are designed to deflect heat, and lots of it. the ice laden foam is pretty dense, and the shuttle gains momentum fast. You would be surprised as to how much impact velocity those ice chunks hit with.

 

[beason]

Re: Nasa calling it quits!!!!!

Going back to the early days of SF, some writers vivid imaginations have become reality in many cases.

Back to the NASA vein - NASA is a coordinator, funding source and think tank. Contractors form partnerships to turn NASA ideas into reality. NASA doesn't build anything, they just write the checks.

I think it was wrong for the Bush administration to kill the shuttle without having a solid plan for replacement. That's my opinion and that's as political as I'm going to get.

if i remember correctly bush administration is the one that called for the project to go back to the moon, which developed into Orion. The next administration is the one that changed that.

No one killed the shuttle. It was slated for retirement from the beginning. It just took longer to get the job done then expected.

There was already one or two vehicles developed to replace the shuttles. one of which even flew before it was scrapped.

 

[mk4713]

Re: Nasa calling it quits!!!!!

I knew I would stir up the hornet's nest with this haha!!!!! Good job guys. Ya'll took it right to the brink of a political brawl. It is great NASA is allowing private sector to get into space R&D. Hell, if space X has the $$$$$ have at it bud! Its funny, just heard the report on the launch. Along with the suplies for the space station Scotty from star trek was taken up. Apparently they took his and some other folk's ashes to space. I assume to dump.
When I started the post I didn't consider the jobs Space x has created. Its also good to know NASA is hard at it. I thought I heard they are working towards a moon trip.

 

[Slide]

Re: Nasa calling it quits!!!!!

Private space launches are awesome. $/kg to LEO with SpaceX is much cheaper than it was with the shuttle. The shuttle system was awesome but it had way too ambitious design goals from the outset. It was projected to be way cheaper, with a shorter turnaround time and much longer service life. Each orbiter was supposed to have a 100-mission service life; none of them hit a third of that.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Nasa calling it quits!!!!!

I think it was wrong for the Bush administration to kill the shuttle without having a solid plan for replacement. That's my opinion and that's as political as I'm going to get.

You do realize that the planned end of the program was extended a year right? Also, the last mission had to be actually put into the federal budget of 2011 to get it funded.

The shuttle flight program lasted 30 years from the very first flight until the last flight. The development started years before that. Even if Bush did authorize another similar replacement, you wouldn't have one flying for another 15 to 20 years likely. The current shuttle fleet is old. Endeavor was 20 years old and the other 2 are 26 years old. Too expensive to maintain/upgrade.

 

[mk4713]

Re: Nasa calling it quits!!!!!

The shuttle fleet was old. Can you imagine the strain on those airframes? I am prior military, while serving in Iraq I flew in chinooks that were older than I was. So I can imagine being an astronaut sittling in a shuttle 20yrs old. Thats like taking a 84' caddy el dorado on a trip from Alaska to the tip of Florida...I would'nt volunteer for that trip...lol

 

[Slide]

Re: Nasa calling it quits!!!!!

I think it was wrong for the Bush administration to kill the shuttle without having a solid plan for replacement. That's my opinion and that's as political as I'm going to get.

The original form of the Orion project was developed and supported under the Bush administration, intended to be a successor to the space shuttle program and a pipeline to return to the Moon and eventually Mars. It included a lunar landing module and several variants of Atlas rockets. The Obama administration killed that project, which now survives in a very different form.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Nasa calling it quits!!!!!

There is some very interesting news on that front, the use of Anti-matter! Scientists at CERN have managed to create Anti-matter and actually keep it contained for 172 milli-seconds. That may sound short lived but its an etenity when talking about atomic particles. Maybe we can get rid of the old pop bottle rocket after all.

CERN also states that it would take about a milion years to gather enough antimatter to propel a rocket to supersonic speeds so I wouldn't hold your breath on that one.

 

[jgriner]

Re: Nasa calling it quits!!!!!

those tiles have a consistency of a sugar cube, with a slightly harder outer shell. Kind of reminds me of those green foam blocks florists use for arraignments. they are designed to deflect heat, and lots of it. the ice laden foam is pretty dense, and the shuttle gains momentum fast. You would be surprised as to how much impact velocity those ice chunks hit with.

green foam blocks florists use for arraignments lol

 

[Outsider]

Re: Nasa calling it quits!!!!!

Who is paying the private company to fly stuff to the space station?... I'm thinking it's the guvment.

No, it's the taxpayer, the guvment has no money of it's own. I'm amazed at the number of other posts that seem to indicate we're out and private industry is in. It might be a little cheaper if there's any competition, but NASA is still running the show with our money ... :facepalm:

 

[mk4713]

Re: Nasa calling it quits!!!!!

Yes, I know first hand DOD spends more. Look at the new fighter jet they can't fly right now due to O2 problems....lol I saw a documetary on people selling land on the moon. Look out florida, the retirees are going to the moon...lol I think it takes about 5yrs to get to mars, right?

 

[Cadwelder]

Re: Nasa calling it quits!!!!!

The Enterprise can get there is a few hours.....we just need warp speed. "Helmsman, set course for Mars, warp 6, ENGAGE....." I wanna be a Starship captian when I grow up.....

On the serious side, I don't see a problem with the private sector, getting involved at all....lots more jobs out there..

 

[mk4713]

Re: Nasa calling it quits!!!!!

OHHHH NOOO, A TREKY!!!!!!!JK
Yes! I've changed my mind about it. Hey If they got the money and resources to do it why not? From my tour in Iraq I know how easy the govt. throws money to contractors. The guys changing light bulbs made more than me, and I got blown up twice...haha.

 

[bekosh]

Re: Nasa calling it quits!!!!!

If we really wanted to get serious about space flight, we'd bring back the original Project Orion.
1600t payload to a 300 mile low Earth orbit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Orion_(nuclear_propulsion)

 

[Water_God32]

Re: Nasa calling it quits!!!!!

Our guvmint can't afford it anymore. So why not let private industry have at it.

You just never know what the private sector can develop with OUT all the rules.

Go IronMan!!