The Augustine Commission was ...Ares1-X FAILURE...N KOREA Offers NASA Technical Advice~

On Sun, 06 Dec 2009 09:59:20 -0800, Pat Flannery
wrote:

wrote:
On Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:12:57 GMT, "Brian Gaff"
wrote:

Yup, its justa few odd bits cobbled together. I suspect the only ral data
they expect to get is that on vibration, and it will be that which dictates
whether its best to carry on or not.


I was listening to some of the astronaut interviews last evening, and
reading between the lines I feel that they all want an upgraded shuttle
rather than a tin can to ride in,

Brian



I suppose they could always mount an Apollo-type capsule on top the
the orange External Tank. At least they know the shuttle engines,
external tank, and solid rocket boosters work just fine.

And BTW, they should plan on taking that External Tank all the way
to orbit!!!

Yeah, I know, it will never happen, but it could if some
proper-thinking human being every took charge of NASA. It's still not
too late, although time is growing short.

Right now, they are phasing out the most successful launch system in
history (the shuttle launch system), and won't even have a way to
reach the space station without Russian help for years to come.

How pathetic is that.

Poor NASA, it could have been so good! You had and have all the
equipment and money you needed to do a space station program and a
Moon program and maybe even a Mars (well Phobos) program, and then
ignorant human beings got involved and mucked it all up.

Where's Pat when I need him?


What you are describing is very close to the Jupiter/DIRECT launch
vehicle that was proposed to replace both the Ares 1 and Ares V:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DIRECT
The Augustine Commission however seemed to favor something like the old
Shuttle C concept with a capsule atop the cargo pod.
Jupiter/DIRECT was criticized as being too large for just taking Orion
into orbit, and too small for the Lunar mission via Earth orbital
rendezvous and docking.

Pat


Pat!!! I'm so glad to see you are still around. I've been so
disgusted with the missed opportunities at NASA that I quit reading
the newsgroups for a while.

Yes, I saw that there had been another Augustine Commission, and I
said to myself: I should read it before coming back here, but I have
not had time, and dropped in and saw your name and had to comment a
little.

From your description above, maybe that poor ole External Tank and
the shuttle launch system can still be used like it should have been
used from the beginning.

At least the Augustine commissions have been consistent: they
recommend using the space shuttle launch system much more efficiently,
and as a heavy-lift cargo vehicle. The top people in the field
suggesting the same approach over and over, year after year, and NASA
refuses to pay attention, or at least that was the case in the past.

Perhaps Administrator Griffin will be different. I must say I am
*delighted* that NASA managed to get a repair mission to Hubble in the
mix of launches they have been doing. IMO, that is probably the most
important thing they have done in years.

Anyway, I'll read the Augustine Commission report and "I'll be
back"! as Arnold says .


TA

Tom Abbott wrote:

Perhaps Administrator Griffin will be different. I must say I am
*delighted* that NASA managed to get a repair mission to Hubble in the
mix of launches they have been doing. IMO, that is probably the most
important thing they have done in years.

Administrator Griffin isn't Administrator Griffin anymore; the new
Administrator is Major General Bolden of Star Command:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_F._Bolden,_Jr.
When no one else had the brass cojones to test out the crew escape
baskets on launch complex 39, it was Bolden who took up the challenge,
knowing that no mere sandbags could ever replace what men can do when it
comes to any aspect of space exploration.
Hell, I've heard he sneaks up into that basket still on nights of the
full moon, and rides it down while making werewolf howls.
Look at his military ribbons! Note that just like James T. Kirk, there
is no "Good Conduct Medal" among them...that is because he was too busy
blowing the living crap out of ChiCom Charlie with his A-6 Intruder to
worry much about things like that, and as A US MARINE, he knew that
award of such a medal was a shooting offense.
As a recruiting officer in Los Angles, his first question to potential
enlistees was if they had ever been in prison...any who answered "No"
were promptly hustled off to the Air Force recruiter, as THE US MARINES
need no little pansies like that...but any who answered: "Do you think
I'm so ****ing stupid that I'd get caught?" ...ere in THE US MARINE
CORPS in a second!
When it comes time for A US MARINE to bite the bullet, it had better be
a .50 caliber APEI-169 Armor Piercing Explosive Incendiary Bullet, and
you had better not complain if that bullet detonates in your mouth, as
that's how A US MARINE brushes his teeth in the morning anyway.
Griffin? That little pipsqueak could never lead NASA...hell, if he had
been shot down behind enemy lines he wouldn't even know how to stalk,
kill, and clean one of the enemy for dinner - much less how to use his
skin for clothing, his teeth to make a saw, and his hair to make rope.
You learn that your first week at Parris Island.
Are we straight on that?
I SAID ARE WE STRAIGHT ON THAT?!
GOOD! ;-)

Pat