On 21 Jan, 05:08, "Alan Erskine" wrote:
"Rand Simberg" wrote in message

...



I hope that it's the end of Constellation (assuming that means Ares
and the current plan) but it's foolish to infer that from an inaugural
address. *Particularly in this case...

I was more referring to the bit about budget responsibility than science. *I
can't, for the life of me, work out why going back to the Moon will be
_more_ expensive than Apollo.... That's what NASA would have us believe; and
it's mainly due to using Ares 1 and V (as well as a lander that is grossly
over-sized for what it does - Altair) - perhaps with the new administration,
there will be a re-think on the whole mess.

The expenditure pledged in the inaugural address is large. This is
going to make it very difficult to justify things like Constellation.
Going back to the Moon may not cost any more than Apollo but going on
to Mars which is the next logical destination certainly will.

What I think is needed is some new ideas. Constellation/Ares is really
a rehash of Apollo/Saturn 5. If someone somewhere could draw up a plan
for space exploration that did not produce exponential costs (as Mars
with present day technology would) I think people would listen. NASA
has to concentrate on developing genuinely new technology or else have
its budget slashed.

Unmanned exploration would seem t be pretty safe. Beyond this NASA has
to show either :-

1) That it is genuinrly working on solutions that will ease the
dependency on forein oil etc.

2) Provide a good scientific yield for the money spent.

This is what minds should be concentrating on.


- Ian Parker