Space Exploration

Are NASA's future missions and budget justified?

  • It's worth the time and expenditures

    Votes: 218 65.7%

  • Complete waste of money

    Votes: 41 12.3%

  • We need to explore, but not at the current cost

    Votes: 73 22.0%
  • Total voters
    332
#3,477
#3,477
These suits will be Nelson’s first test as NASA Administrator. Does he let this drag on and endanger the 2024 date? Does he quietly work out something behind the scenes to get BO and Dynetics to drop the suits?

I’m hoping he has enough of an ego to really, really want to be the Administrator that gets us back to the moon and squashes the BS. We should know pretty quickly.
 
#3,478
#3,478
twoffo said:
These suits will be Nelson’s first test as NASA Administrator. Does he let this drag on and endanger the 2024 date? Does he quietly work out something behind the scenes to get BO and Dynetics to drop the suits?

I’m hoping he has enough of an ego to really, really want to be the Administrator that gets us back to the moon and squashes the BS. We should know pretty quickly.
Click to expand...

Supposedly (I haven't looked at the individual protests) the two that didn't get the contract have some valid complaints. However, the NASA Administrator doesn't have the power to "squash" the protests since they went to the GAO.

The major difference is research and development on the Starship will continue regardless of the GAO challenges since the design was preexisting to the HLS contract. Musk was already putting up his own dime to develop the Starship; so, SpaceX can continue building the HLS under the guise of "Starship research" with their own money and get paid for "services rendered" later when they strike down the complaints. Because if I'm to understand the major reasons NASA went with SpaceX was it was on/under budget while Blue Origin (and company) were way over budget and Dynetics was too heavy. Or technically too much mass (the same thing, I guess). Plus, Congress only appropriated enough money for a single landing system rather than the redundancy Bridenstine had planned for the competition.

So, the National Team and Dynetics can protest all they want, Starship will continue moving forward regardless and I'd bet it'll be a somewhat easy modification for the HLS by the time they are done.
 
#3,479
#3,479
It's interesting Bill Nelson was picked at the NASA Administrator though since we haven't discussed that. Not that he doesn't have a background and should be up and running quickly since he was on the NASA Advisory Council for two years before his nomination. However, age is certainly a factor and I think that's people's main complaint as they wanted to see someone younger pushing NASA ahead. Basically, someone like Bridenstine with the energy and vigor to continuing pulling the Agency in the right direction. Hopefully, Nelson can be a driving force as well.

Even more interesting that Nelson voted against Bridenstine only to turn around and praise him during his confirmation hearings. I think the fact he has a background at NASA along with his various committee appointments during his House and Senate career could be helpful.

The only problems I see (and hopefully he's gotten past them) has been his insistence on the SLS and his opposition to the Commercial Crew. If he can overcome this insane desire to continue throwing money at Boeing and the "old hats," he could be a good Administrator.
 
#3,480
#3,480
Grand Vol said:
However, the NASA Administrator doesn't have the power to "squash" the protests since they went to the GAO.
Click to expand...

“Squash” in the sense of using his political skills to “signal” BO and Dynetics that dropping the suits would be to their benefit.

As much as I would like things to be decided purely on merit that is not the simulation we inhabit. So Nelson will likely be forced to pick sides early.

But I agree with your points about SpaceX continuing to make progress. And the GAO may rule relatively quickly.
 
#3,481
#3,481
twoffo said:
“Squash” in the sense of using his political skills to “signal” BO and Dynetics that dropping the suits would be to their benefit.

As much as I would like things to be decided purely on merit that is not the simulation we inhabit. So Nelson will likely be forced to pick sides early.

But I agree with your points about SpaceX continuing to make progress. And the GAO may rule relatively quickly.
Click to expand...

Got it.

The thing is, the decision was probably crushing to Dynetics. Blue Origin (and the associated companies on the National Team) will be okay in the long run. Dynetics really has the most to lose if it wants to get a foothold in the human rated space industry.

Unfortunately, Blue Origin (as Hog pointed out) is following in the footsteps of Boeing, ULA, Lockheed, Northrop and others in overpriced, complicated "throw away" systems that are taking forever to develop. Sad too as Bezos is an exceptional businessman who should know taking risks makes for huge rewards down the road. Again, he has the capital to beat the brakes off nearly everyone (except SpaceX at this point) if they wanted too.
 
#3,482
#3,482
Grand Vol said:
Unfortunately, Blue Origin (as Hog pointed out) is following in the footsteps of Boeing, ULA, Lockheed, Northrop and others in overpriced, complicated "throw away" systems that are taking forever to develop. Sad too as Bezos is an exceptional businessman who should know taking risks makes for huge rewards down the road. Again, he has the capital to beat the brakes off nearly everyone (except SpaceX at this point) if they wanted too.
Click to expand...

Given that Bezos believes giant space stations are the future I’m surprised we haven’t seen more from BO along those lines.

Even if he proposed something that was years out at least get something in front of the public. Elon has the vision for Mars and no one doubts he is working for that. Bezos has talked about space stations but I’m not sure we’ve even got a concept or plan to get it done, let alone any actual work beyond pieces of New Glenn, a rocket engine and a cavernous rocket factory building.
 
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