An interesting perspective

Boomerang · Post by **Boomerang** » Wed Feb 24, 2010 12:43 pm

The below article has an intersting perspective on the cancellation of the constellation program. What he says actually makes alot of sense.

http://trueslant.com/milesobrien/2010/0 ... not-alice/

SpaceCanada · Post by **SpaceCanada** » Wed Feb 24, 2010 4:52 pm

Very interesting. I really like the article, as it shares many of the same views I have, with additional encouraging points I never thought of until now. Let's hope NASA can see their situation in the same light.

Hotdog · Post by **Hotdog** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 4:24 pm

Ugh, I guess I am a bit too old fashioned to take this as "good news".

This whole thing is sort of like the bitter pill your parents made you take, while telling you it tasted like candy when it really didn't. I guess we have to hope the pill works!

I will miss our once-ambitious space program. I hope the VAB, LC39 and other icons are not allowed to rot in the Florida sun. An America without a dominant space program seems like a weaker America going backwards to me.

Boomerang · Post by **Boomerang** » Fri Feb 26, 2010 4:49 pm

I'm keeping an open mind for the moment on the commercial side. The primary part of the commercial side is low earth orbit transport. If NASA sets a definitive goal whether it be the moon, mars etc and can concentrate on those objectives and let LEO transport be the responsibility of the commercial industry with some supervision then it may open up more possibilities. The biggest problem i see right now is no set goal but NASA's administrator says that id in the works and should be announced later this year. The busget killed Ares and Orion for the time being not nessecarily the entire idea of returning to the moon or going to Mars. Alot of engineers have Argued Orion and Ares wouldnt do the job to begin with. I see this as a way of freeing up more of the busget to get us to the moon and mars in the future. Atleast thats how i'm trying to look at it for right now till exact goals are set forth. I am also glad to see more money going back into Science, education and Aviation programs all of which took huge cuts under the constellation program but all of which are stil needed. I am also glad to see the ISS life extended.

And the biggest part Congress still has to approve all of this and the budget seems to be hitting some big oposition there.