I'm not sure that this is such a bad idea, since it's coming attached to a
major, new space effort. If Bush's Moon base idea gets canned, something
equally large will replace it, which will make up for the lack of a
shuttle.

And RLV development won't be dead, because Dick Rutan's SS1 looks like the
leading candidate for the X-Prize, and if he wins, I believe that a scale-
up to orbital capabilities will probably follow.

And just think of what we could do if we re-directed all that money into
the planetary exploration effort. I believe that this is currently where
the most inspiring work is being done. If we redirect all that cash, it
should be much more inspiring to average people than all the routine, late
and uninspired work that was being done on the shuttle.

The danger will be that there will be no support for the ISS, and that
Bush's Moon base will turn into a gargantuan black hole for NASA's money,
like the ISS did, and suck it out of the planetary exploration program.
There was a time when outer space construction projects were considered
visionary, but that time is past.

I don't think that the same is true for lunar construction projects yet,
but that day may come before the project is completed, like it did for the
ISS. Then we'll have to watch all that money thrown away with another
major cancellation.


(ed kyle) wrote in
om:

First let me say that I think that space shuttle should
be retired and replaced as soon as possible. But I'm
having a big problem with this idea proported to be
proposed on Wednesday by Pres. Bush to abandon shuttle
outright, with a several-year gap before another U.S.
crewed capability (Crew Exploration Vehicle) is developed.

If this is the actual proposal, it is a very bad idea.
The danger is that shuttle is abandoned, but CEV
development is subsequently stalled (for any of a variety
of possible reasons), bringing an end to U.S. human
spaceflight for the forseeable future.

The U.S. should, IMO, develop CEV promptly, but keep
shuttle flying in the interim. The cost to keep shuttle
going is what, $2.5 billion per year?

- Ed Kyle