Joann Evans wrote:

Brian Thorn wrote:

On 12 Jan 2004 15:08:16 -0800, (vthokie)
wrote:

My problem is with the fact that Bush's plan makes no mention of
reusable launch vehicle development. Abandoning RLV concepts in favor
of Apollo style capsules and expendable launch vehicles will do
nothing to make access to space more affordable or routine.

Since the government has failed catastophically to do this, it may not
be a bad idea to stop expecting it.

Let's get back to exploring, at least then NASA won't be in the way of
private launch vehicle development.

But I doubt the public will support extremely expensive exploring,
and an economical RLV (which will also be doing other things) is the
only way to support missions deeper into space in an affordable manner.

But you're right, it isn't likely to come from NASA. (Though, as DC-X
was showing, a *different,* less hide-bound government agency might do
better....)

It's not likely to come from any of the existing NASA manned spaceflight
bureaucracy. I think a new organization will need to be created, but it
doesn't necessarily need to be separate from NASA. Back in the 60's
NASA created the Industrial Operations Division at HQ to manage Apollo,
essentially from scratch, and something like that can be done again.
The important point is that the new organization needs to be completely
independent from the existing Center bureaucracy so that the
laboratories are out of the loop for program planning and design.
That's the only way we're going to accomplish the goals in the simplest,
most cost-effective manner.

If Bush's plan comes across as "business as usual" for the NASA
bureaucracy it will be an unmitigated disaster.
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You know what to remove, to reply....