Another Triumph for Russian Space Technology

Thialfi wrote:
The Expedition 12 crew has been successfully launched from the
Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Unless US policy changes, this will be the last American to
visit the International Space Station.
And he doesn't have a ride back.

Thanks for the update! I had no idea that the U.S.
had changed its policy - that it has no intention of
sending any more astronauts to the space station!
I did not realize that the space shuttle program had
officially been terminated! This is a very
informative post! Thank you!

- Ed Kyle

Sadly shuttle not terminated YET.

But with no rescue craft available the only time US astronauts can
visit ISS is when the shuttle is there.

Political rhetoric to get a exemption to that law preventing from
paying Russia for flights...

On 1 Oct 2005 13:30:55 -0700, "ed kyle" wrote, in
part:
Thialfi wrote:
The Expedition 12 crew has been successfully launched from the
Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Unless US policy changes, this will be the last American to
visit the International Space Station.
And he doesn't have a ride back.

Thanks for the update! I had no idea that the U.S.
had changed its policy - that it has no intention of
sending any more astronauts to the space station!
I did not realize that the space shuttle program had
officially been terminated! This is a very
informative post! Thank you!

Well, the shuttle is grounded indefinitely.

But I did think that G. W. Bush had set forth a policy which included
replacing the shuttle, so that a U.S. manned presence in space would
continue.

John Savard
http://home.ecn.ab.ca/~jsavard/index.html
http://www.quadibloc.com/index.html
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On Sun, 02 Oct 2005 00:09:43 GMT, lid
(John Savard) wrote:

Well, the shuttle is grounded indefinitely.

Space.com says NASA this week figured out how to fix the PAL ramp and
is working toward resuming flights in May.

Unfortunately, the timing of the "we should be ready in May" story is
suspicious. A month ago, NASA seemed to be stymied by the PAL ramp
problem. Now they have an answer, even though Michoud has been
skeleton crewed (or worse) all this time. What's changed in the last
month other than OMB asking NASA how much it would cost to shut down
the Shuttle program in FY06? The cynic in me says its amazing how fast
NASA came up with a fix once someone started threatening their jobs...

Brian

On Sat, 1 Oct 2005 21:06:00 -0500, Brian Thorn wrote
(in article ):

On Sun, 02 Oct 2005 00:09:43 GMT, lid
(John Savard) wrote:

Well, the shuttle is grounded indefinitely.

Space.com says NASA this week figured out how to fix the PAL ramp and
is working toward resuming flights in May.

Unfortunately, the timing of the "we should be ready in May" story is
suspicious. A month ago, NASA seemed to be stymied by the PAL ramp
problem. Now they have an answer, even though Michoud has been
skeleton crewed (or worse) all this time. What's changed in the last
month other than OMB asking NASA how much it would cost to shut down
the Shuttle program in FY06? The cynic in me says its amazing how fast
NASA came up with a fix once someone started threatening their jobs...

Brian

So long as we don't know what the solution is, it's best to let the
cynic in you take a vacation. I suspect the solution, such as it turns
out to be, is going to involve very little in the way of significant
manufacturing changes. As a result, it doesn't matter a whit whether
Michoud was up and running. What matters is that the folks doing the
ET engineering analysis still had access to their supercomputer
simulations and the STS-114 ascent data.

--
"Fame may be fleeting but obscurity is forever." ~Anonymous
"I believe as little as possible and know as much as I can."
~Todd Stuart Phillips
www.angryherb.net

"ed kyle" wrote in message
ups.com...
Thialfi wrote:
The Expedition 12 crew has been successfully launched from the
Baikonur Cosmodrome.

Unless US policy changes, this will be the last American to
visit the International Space Station.
And he doesn't have a ride back.

Thanks for the update! I had no idea that the U.S.
had changed its policy - that it has no intention of
sending any more astronauts to the space station!
I did not realize that the space shuttle program had
officially been terminated! This is a very
informative post! Thank you!


Everything has changed for the space station. For starters
the science mission is now restricted to only research on
the effects of long duration space flight on people.
And the shuttle will be for building the station, not
for regular crew transport. The Russians will be the primary
means of transporting crew until about 2014 when the
cev is flying. They've cancelled the crew return vehicle
I think.

So I doubt if Nasa is going to be able to increase
the size of the ISS crew by much, if at all, for some
time. The space station is no longer the focus of
manned space flight.

It's stock has been downgraded to 'junk' status.
They'll finish the station though, for the same reason
they built it, for the sake of it.

Having watched and cheered on the station for years
and now to find out what a big 'mistake' it's been really
grates on me. But that's history now, it's time to make
sure the same mistake isn't made with our latest-greatest
30 year plan.

Twenty or thirty years is a very long time to waste...again.
And this vision of 'To the Moon and Beyond' is making
......exactly....the same mistake as the space station.

It wasn't built for a purpose, it's purpose was to be built.

How will going to Mars help anyone on Earth outside
of Nasa? An agency like Nasa should be looking for
the high ground, it should be looking to make a difference.

The high ground means it's purpose should be more than
to just help and sustain....itself. It's purpose should be to
help sustain us. To build a better future.

For us.

This long range goal has only as it's purpose an unending
string of programs leading as far from Earth...and us...
as possible.

Nasa's goal is 'away from goodness'.
Literally and completely!



Jonathan

s






- Ed Kyle

Other than exploration, what else can nsa do?

My idea Defend against a asteroid strike!

Finding out how mars echosystem works might help us understand the
earth better. That might be REALLY important!

Brian Thorn wrote:
On Sun, 02 Oct 2005 00:09:43 GMT, lid
(John Savard) wrote:

Well, the shuttle is grounded indefinitely.

Space.com says NASA this week figured out how to fix the PAL ramp and
is working toward resuming flights in May.

Unfortunately, the timing of the "we should be ready in May" story is
suspicious. A month ago, NASA seemed to be stymied by the PAL ramp
problem. Now they have an answer, even though Michoud has been
skeleton crewed (or worse) all this time. What's changed in the last
month other than OMB asking NASA how much it would cost to shut down
the Shuttle program in FY06? The cynic in me says its amazing how fast
NASA came up with a fix once someone started threatening their jobs...


Actually, I'am rather suprised you'd think that, especially given the
fix they are trying is not that new, and was used on the first 10 feet
of the STS-114 ramp. No foam came off that part of the PAL ramp. It was
also in the list of possible fixes mentioned back in August. The "we
should be ready in May" is not accurate. Kyle Herring has said "I think
May would be the earliest, based on two hurricanes that not only caused
damage at some of the facilities, but also displaced the work force."

Further concerning the "skeleton crew all this time": "Even with the
devestation to their lives, it's been kind of remarkable that they have
stepped up and are back at work and are trying to balance that with
their own personal issues".

Also Wayne Hale did not do more than ask what it would take to get to a
May launch date, if it's at all possible.
-Mike

On 3 Oct 2005 03:36:23 -0700, wrote:

The cynic in me says its amazing how fast
NASA came up with a fix once someone started threatening their jobs...

Actually, I'am rather suprised you'd think that, especially given the
fix they are trying is not that new, and was used on the first 10 feet
of the STS-114 ramp. No foam came off that part of the PAL ramp. It was
also in the list of possible fixes mentioned back in August.

I still think its curious that back in the first week of September,
NASA was saying it looked like the Shuttle wouldn't fly until October,
2006. Then OMB asks NASA how much it would cost to shut down the
program, and now NASA is saying "Oh, we're trying to launch in May."

Uh huh.

Brian

Brian Thorn wrote:
On 3 Oct 2005 03:36:23 -0700, wrote:

The cynic in me says its amazing how fast
NASA came up with a fix once someone started threatening their jobs...

Actually, I'am rather suprised you'd think that, especially given the
fix they are trying is not that new, and was used on the first 10 feet
of the STS-114 ramp. No foam came off that part of the PAL ramp. It was
also in the list of possible fixes mentioned back in August.

I still think its curious that back in the first week of September,
NASA was saying it looked like the Shuttle wouldn't fly until October,
2006. Then OMB asks NASA how much it would cost to shut down the
program, and now NASA is saying "Oh, we're trying to launch in May."


I think you're going way overboard placing too much stock in the
supposed internal memo from Wayne Hale that estimated with the damage
from Katerina (at that time little was known about how long a recovery
would take. It in fact took far less time), and other factors in
finding a fix. Hope for the best, and plan for the worst. It's been a
month since then, the ET scheduled for STS-121 has been shipped back,
and the work to examine and then modify it will begin.
-Mike