Aldrin says we need a larger rocket

U.S. needs larger rocket, Aldrin says

BY TODD HALVORSON
FLORIDA TODAY

CAPE CANAVERAL-- The nation should develop a heavy-lift rocket based on space
shuttle components to send astronauts back to the moon and on to Mars, the
second man to walk on the moon told a presidential commission Thursday.

Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin speaks to the President’s Commission on Moon,
Mars and Beyond on Thursday in Atlanta. Aldrin told the panel the United States
needs enthusiasm similar the the "pioneering days" of the first moon landing if
it wants to go to Mars. Image © 2004, AP


During a hearing in Atlanta, held by the President's Commission on Moon, Mars
and Beyond, Buzz Aldrin said a super-sized rocket would reduce costs as well as
the number of missions needed to return to the moon between 2015 and 2020.

"It isn't going to happen unless we have a better way of getting into space,"
said Aldrin, who set foot on the moon with fellow Apollo 11 astronaut Neil
Armstrong on July 20, 1969. The two became the first humans to visit another
celestial body.

A company headed by Aldrin -- Starcraft Boosters Inc. of Houston -- is
designing a heavy-lift rocket that would employ shuttle solid rocket boosters
and external tanks to loft cargoes weighing up to 115,000 pounds.

That's four times the amount of cargo that could be launched on existing
rockets such as the Boeing Delta 4 and Lockheed Martin Atlas 5.

The so-called Aquila rocket would fly from Kennedy Space Center's two existing
space shuttle pads, and Aldrin suggested a third could be built to support the
moon-Mars initiative.

And with minor upgrades to the shuttle external tanks, Aldrin said the Aquila
could launch a six-person crew to a way station near lunar orbit, where the
astronauts would board a lander to take to the surface of the moon.

"One launch and we could have the crew there to rendezvous with the lander," he
said.

Contact Halvorson at 639-0576 or
Hey this is my opinion

"bob haller" wrote in message
...

U.S. needs larger rocket, Aldrin says


Once again showing that he continues to be off-base.


BY TODD HALVORSON
FLORIDA TODAY

CAPE CANAVERAL-- The nation should develop a heavy-lift rocket based on
space
shuttle components to send astronauts back to the moon and on to Mars, the
second man to walk on the moon told a presidential commission Thursday.

Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin speaks to the President's Commission on
Moon,
Mars and Beyond on Thursday in Atlanta. Aldrin told the panel the United
States
needs enthusiasm similar the the "pioneering days" of the first moon
landing if
it wants to go to Mars. Image © 2004, AP

Yes, the pioneering days that resulted in 6 men walking on the moon and us
walking away from a program that was too expensive.

Back in my day pioneering meant actually going out, staking (literally) a
claim to land and living there for at least a year. Thousands of people did
that. And stayed.



During a hearing in Atlanta, held by the President's Commission on Moon,
Mars
and Beyond, Buzz Aldrin said a super-sized rocket would reduce costs as
well as
the number of missions needed to return to the moon between 2015 and 2020.

Reducing the number of launches is not necessarily the best way to solve
the problem.

I take the train to NYC. Folks criticize Amtrak. So it's surely better
that rather than running 13 daily trips to NYC (with average 4 cars per
train) Amtrak should run just ONE train a day with 52 cars. That should be
much cheaper to run. Once they rebuild all the platforms, making them 10
times longer... get better locomotives...

And I'm sure 1 trip a day would get as much patronage as 13 trips a day
After all, who cares about convienence, right?

Someday we may need a 52 car train to get folks to NYC. But it won't be
at the expense of 12 other trains.

Same with going to the Moon. We built the 52 car rocket.... and it was
too expensive. Perhaps smaller rockets bear a worth looking at.

Or to use the normal analogy, Boeing didn't build the 747 first.



"It isn't going to happen unless we have a better way of getting into
space,"

Funny how his better way seems to be the way we abandoned 30 years ago.

said Aldrin, who set foot on the moon with fellow Apollo 11 astronaut Neil
Armstrong on July 20, 1969. The two became the first humans to visit
another
celestial body.

A company headed by Aldrin -- Starcraft Boosters Inc. of Houston -- is
designing a heavy-lift rocket that would employ shuttle solid rocket
boosters
and external tanks to loft cargoes weighing up to 115,000 pounds.

That's four times the amount of cargo that could be launched on existing
rockets such as the Boeing Delta 4 and Lockheed Martin Atlas 5.

The so-called Aquila rocket would fly from Kennedy Space Center's two
existing
space shuttle pads, and Aldrin suggested a third could be built to support
the
moon-Mars initiative.


A third? We're barely able to keep two pads busy enough.

And with minor upgrades to the shuttle external tanks, Aldrin said the
Aquila
could launch a six-person crew to a way station near lunar orbit, where
the
astronauts would board a lander to take to the surface of the moon.


"One launch and we could have the crew there to rendezvous with the
lander," he
said.

So we need to develop a BIGGER rocket and still need to rendezvous? Where
are we saving money again?



Contact Halvorson at 639-0576 or
Hey this is my opinion

(bob haller) writes:

A company headed by Aldrin -- Starcraft Boosters Inc. of Houston -- is
designing a heavy-lift rocket that would employ shuttle solid rocket boosters
and external tanks to loft cargoes weighing up to 115,000 pounds.

This would certainly make Starcraft Boosters Inc. money, but I still
don't think it is a rational way for the US to move forward. This
thing is just too big and will cost billions to develop and test.

Jeff
--
Remove "no" and "spam" from email address to reply.
If it says "This is not spam!", it's surely a lie.

"Greg D. Moore \(Strider\)" wrote:
Back in my day pioneering meant actually going out, staking (literally) a
claim to land and living there for at least a year. Thousands of people did
that. And stayed.

And thousands quailed when faced with the true challenges and fled.
Thousands more died either from circumstances beyond their control or
from failure to prepare properly. (Then there were the thousands that
preyed on the more gullible among the pioneers...)

The picture of the pioneers as steely-eyed plowboys who universally
prevailed against all odds is a creation of the media.

D.
--
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.

On Fri, 26 Mar 2004 15:03:37 GMT, "Greg D. Moore \(Strider\)"
wrote:


"bob haller" wrote in message
...

U.S. needs larger rocket, Aldrin says


Once again showing that he continues to be off-base.


BY TODD HALVORSON
FLORIDA TODAY

CAPE CANAVERAL-- The nation should develop a heavy-lift rocket based on
space
shuttle components to send astronauts back to the moon and on to Mars, the
second man to walk on the moon told a presidential commission Thursday.

Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin speaks to the President's Commission on
Moon,
Mars and Beyond on Thursday in Atlanta. Aldrin told the panel the United
States
needs enthusiasm similar the the "pioneering days" of the first moon
landing if
it wants to go to Mars. Image © 2004, AP

Yes, the pioneering days that resulted in 6 men walking on the moon

Twelve.

Brian

"Brian Thorn" wrote in message
...

Yes, the pioneering days that resulted in 6 men walking on the moon

Twelve.


Argh... Ok, I'm going to dunk my head in the sink.

umm.. 6 crews.. yeah. that's what I mean... 6 crews... yeah.

:-)



Brian

"Derek Lyons" wrote in message
...
"Greg D. Moore \(Strider\)" wrote:
Back in my day pioneering meant actually going out, staking (literally) a
claim to land and living there for at least a year. Thousands of people
did
that. And stayed.

And thousands quailed when faced with the true challenges and fled.
Thousands more died either from circumstances beyond their control or
from failure to prepare properly. (Then there were the thousands that
preyed on the more gullible among the pioneers...)

The picture of the pioneers as steely-eyed plowboys who universally
prevailed against all odds is a creation of the media.


True. And actually if anything that further makes my point. They didn't
give up on the west as easily as we did on the Moon.

BTW, for anyone who hasn't seen it, if you can catch Frontier House, it's an
interesting series that shows three families trying to live like landstaking
pioneers for several months.


D.
--
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.

"Greg D. Moore \(Strider\)" wrote:

BTW, for anyone who hasn't seen it, if you can catch Frontier House, it's an
interesting series that shows three families trying to live like landstaking
pioneers for several months.

It's also a fascinating study in human nature.

D.
--
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.

"Greg D. Moore \(Strider\)" wrote:

True. And actually if anything that further makes my point. They didn't
give up on the west as easily as we did on the Moon.

You can't give up on something you never really tried.

D.
--
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.

In article ,
"Greg D. Moore \(Strider\)" wrote:

True. And actually if anything that further makes my point. They didn't
give up on the west as easily as we did on the Moon.

BTW, for anyone who hasn't seen it, if you can catch Frontier House, it's an
interesting series that shows three families trying to live like landstaking
pioneers for several months.

And just about all of them are shocked, shocked I tell you, at just
bloody hard and unremitting the work is, just getting by, much less
prospering.