NASA Reinstates The Dawn Mission

I'm happy that this mission has been restored. May it be successful
and produce good science.

"An additional expenditure of about
$14 million would have been required to terminate the project. "

Was wondering why it costs so much to can a mission. Lay off the
people, and toss the partially built probe in the dumpster out back,
yes?

On 27 Mar 2006 20:54:52 -0800, "Bob" wrote:

I'm happy that this mission has been restored. May it be successful
and produce good science.

That is the hope. Still, this does pose the question of if a project
that has over-run its budget, and suffering technical problems, should
be restored? After all NASA to begin with mentioned technical problems
and awarding this project additional funding would harm other
projects.

Apparently they concluded that it does. Although they were critical of
the original Dawn team for over-running the budget in the first place,
where now JPL has the honour of assembling a new team. Sounds like a
good time for qualified people to give JPL a call.

This reinstatement does contain the clause that the new JPL team are
not allowed to do a poor job either. So there is still a minor risk of
Dawn not flying.

"An additional expenditure of about
$14 million would have been required to terminate the project. "

It is interesting to note that an internal technician calculation of
how much it would cost to complete this project came up with a figure
of $17 million. In other words just $3 million more than the
stand-down cost. Overlooking already awarded budget that had not
already been spent that is.

One reason why this project was stood-down and later cancelled was
because the person who compiled this $17 million total quoted a figure
of $40 million to NASA management in order to cover any worst case
cost increases. NASA of course did not like this $40 million figure,
not to mention a series of technical problems and took the action that
they did. Although according to later news these technical problems
were on the path to being fixed anyway.

We will now have to see the final cost of Dawn when you can be assured
that all this stand-down, cancellation and reinstatement increases the
end $$$ value.

Was wondering why it costs so much to can a mission. Lay off the
people, and toss the partially built probe in the dumpster out back,
yes?

Maybe because NASA can never do anything cheaply. No doubt this cost
was split between already agreed contracts and having Dawn broken up
and the parts "clean room" stored.

This does make you wonder what their price tag would have been based
on the sole goal of minimum financial expenditure? Kind of like
"You're all fired. Clean out your desks and throw Dawn in the trash!"

Anyway, it always surprises me how just storing something can run into
millions of dollars, but that is NASA (and ESA) for you.

In the end I am happy that Dawn is back. Now if NASA avoids doing bad
things to Kepler, sends a rover/airship to Titan, then does a mass
produced probe to examine worthy objects in the Kuiper Belt, then that
would make me happy. Although of course NASA has put the breaks on
mostly all new projects to pay for their CEV cost.

That is the interesting thing here when the original CEV financial
plan only paid for the main CEV construction once the Shuttle was
terminated. In other words out of those very Shuttle funds. And of
course Congress was not happy with this three year break and made sure
that their latest NASA head cheese brought forwards the launch date
somewhat. We can now see that there was not available funding to do
this, which is why they ended up robbing the NASA piggy bank. Seems to
me that Congress now has some responsibility in also helping to pay
for CEV construction since they helped to force this situation on
NASA.

I am doubting that they would agree with the view of a non-eligable
voter seeing that thanks to Bush they have to raid their own piggy
bank as well. In this respect I can only hope that the value of the
CNY increases by leaps and bounds. Yes, China now has you by the
vitals and are starting to squeeze. :-]

No doubt Bush will soon work out another deal on that one.

Cardman
http://www.cardman.org
http://www.cardman.com
http://www.cardman.co.uk

"Bob" wrote:

:I'm happy that this mission has been restored. May it be successful
:and produce good science.
:
:"An additional expenditure of about
:$14 million would have been required to terminate the project. "
:
:Was wondering why it costs so much to can a mission. Lay off the
eople, and toss the partially built probe in the dumpster out back,
:yes?

No.

--
"Some people get lost in thought because it's such unfamiliar
territory."
--G. Behn

Hooray for Dawn's return! Perhaps it signifies a glimmer of new found
understanding in those that fund our programs. But I tend to doubt it.
Look for another axe swing right after the next elections. It's what
they do: make big unfunded promises before, and cut the heart out of
everything after they win.

On 28 Mar 2006 15:24:24 -0800, "D. Orbitt" wrote:

Hooray for Dawn's return! Perhaps it signifies a glimmer of new found
understanding in those that fund our programs. But I tend to doubt it.

It was more a function of the existing appeal system. Dawn had issues
and over-run the budget. This project was stood down due to a
congressional clause concerning projects that over-run budgets. And
NASA killed it off due to not wanting to pay out more to have launch
take place as first planned.

JPL then made an official appeal. A mostly independent group then
examined this project based solely on its technical progress and
ignoring the scientific value of the project.

Since they saw that the cost over-run was not as bad as first expected
and that technical problems were on the road to being resolved, with
no serious technical problems in sight, then that is why they switched
Dawn back on.

The launch has been delayed to next year though, when NASA has some
spare funding next year to cover this extra cost.

Look for another axe swing right after the next elections. It's what
they do: make big unfunded promises before, and cut the heart out of
everything after they win.

I doubt that would happen. It would not make technical and financial
sense.

Cardman
http://www.cardman.org
http://www.cardman.com
http://www.cardman.co.uk

Look for another axe swing right after the next elections. It's what
they do: make big unfunded promises before, and cut the heart out of
everything after they win.

Cardman:" I doubt that would happen. It would not make technical and
financial
sense."

me: "In light of past events and current trends, that is the most naive
thing I've heard today."
It has NEVER been about what makes sense technically or financially.

NASA Reinstates The Dawn Mission: Say what again?

"Dawn Mission: A journey to the beginning of the solar system."

We can't survive our own global-warming, we're losing countless
thousands of innocent souls (tens of thousands if you'd care include
Iraq) per year due to our very own bad doings, and yet we're still into
spending millions upon millions if not billions, plus taking all of
that spendy time, talents and resources upon promoting this "Dawn
Mission".

The New Horizons mission seemed bad enough. However, is there
something weird or extra dog wagging special with this Dawn Mission
that I'm missing?
-
Brad Guth