"Rocket Man" wrote on Sun, 31 Mar 2019
14:38:01 +0200:

http://www.moondaily.com/reports/US_...asy_999.h tml

What are the chances of this really happening? I admire Bridenstine's
boldness, but this seems incredulous to me, as there haven't even been any
contracts awarded for building a lander. In addition, NASA is attempting to
build the Lunar Gateway and SLS at the same time.


I make the odds as slim and none and slim has left town. Trump wants
it pulled to 2024 so that it happens as his second term ends. This
may (mostly likely is) just be ego, but it may also be a recognition
that his successor will change direction radically AGAIN so that we
get another decade of doing nothing.

Note that SLS was supposed to be done several years ago. NASA thinks
they need at least another half decade to get back to the Moon.


If Bridenstine's serious about this he should cancel ISS, SLS and the Lunar
Gateway and start developing an architecture based on Falcon Heavy hauling
up and assembling subsections of a lunar mission (lander, service module,
reentry capsule, Trans-Lunar Injection stage) in orbit.


ISS is unrelated (and you might want it to put pieces together). SLS
has been a money pit from the beginning and should have been cancelled
long ago. Lunar Gateway could be used for assembly, but in lunar
orbit rather than LEO.


--
"Millions for defense, but not one cent for tribute."
-- Charles Pinckney