Space Exploration

Are NASA's future missions and budget justified?

  • It's worth the time and expenditures

    Votes: 223 66.0%

  • Complete waste of money

    Votes: 41 12.1%

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

    Votes: 74 21.9%
  • Total voters
    338
#1,158
#1,158
2019 is shaping up to be a Big Year for the future of Space Exploration.


This morning (January 23) Blue Origin successfully complete a test flight of New Shepherd 3 (NS3). The plan is for (NS4) to carry a test crew later this year.




Mean while on February 9th SpaceX is scheduled to launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Crew Dragon spacecraft on an uncrewed test flight to the International Space Station. The SpX-DM1 (SpaceX Demonstration Mission 1) is scheduled for auto-mated docking to the ISS where it will stay for a few weeks then undock and conduct the full re-entry, splashdown and recovery steps to provide data to qualify for flights transporting humans to the ISS. Life support systems will be monitored at all times during the flight.

If all goes as planned in June SpaceX will launch SpX-DM2 (SpaceX Demonstration Mission 2) with a Crew of 2 to the ISS for an 8 day mission. It would be the first crewed flight of an American spacecraft into orbit since STS-135 in July 2011.


In March Boeing will launch a test flight of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner (Crew Space Transportation) to the ISS with a plan of launching the first manned mission of the Starliner to the ISS later in the year or early 2020.
 
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#1,159
#1,159
CagleMtnVol said:
2019 is shaping up to be a Big Year for Space.


This morning (January 23) Blue Origins successfully complete a test flight of New Shepherd 3 (NS3). The plan is for (NS4) to carry a test crew later this year.




Mean while on February 9th SpaceX is scheduled to launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Crew Dragon spacecraft on an uncrewed test flight to the International Space Station. The SpX-DM1 (SpaceX Demonstration Mission 1) is scheduled for auto-mated docking to the ISS where it will stay for a few weeks then undock and conduct the full re-entry, splashdown and recovery steps to provide data to qualify for flights transporting humans to the ISS. Life support systems will be monitored at all times during the flight.

If all goes as planned in June SpaceX will launch SpX-DM2 (SpaceX Demonstration Mission 2) with a Crew of 2 to the ISS for an 8 day mission. It would be the first crewed flight of an American spacecraft into orbit since STS-135 in July 2011.


In March Boeing will launch a test flight of the Boeing CST-100 Starliner (Crew Space Transportation) to the ISS with a plan of launching the first manned mission of the Starliner to the ISS later in the year or early 2020.
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that bold part is disgusting.
 
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#1,160
#1,160
LouderVol said:
that bold part is disgusting.
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Yep, What's worse if it wasn't for Blue Origin, SpaceX and Boeing it would likely be another 3-5 years before it would happen with how slow NASA is being with Orion.

I'm betting that not only does SpaceX and Blue Origin get back to the moon in the next 3 to 5 years I'm betting they beat NASA (if NASA/Govt. lets them) to Mars in the next 8-10 years possibly as a dual partnership.
 
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#1,161
#1,161
CagleMtnVol said:
Yep, What's worse if it wasn't for Blue Origin, SpaceX and Boeing it would likely be another 3-5 years before it would happen with how slow NASA is being with Orion.

I'm betting that not only does SpaceX and Blue Origin get back to the moon in the next 3 to 5 years I'm betting they beat NASA (if NASA/Govt. lets them) to Mars in the next 8-10 years possibly as a dual partnership.
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I know their budget got cut, I just don't see how else they are spending their money to fall behind. I am pretty sure NASA is still the best funded space program in the world. India making us all look like idiots getting a working satellite into space on some bottle rockets.
 
#1,163
#1,163
LouderVol said:
I know their budget got cut, I just don't see how else they are spending their money to fall behind. I am pretty sure NASA is still the best funded space program in the world. India making us all look like idiots getting a working satellite into space on some bottle rockets.
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I'm pretty sure that the Trump Administration increased their budget particularly to focus on the moon & mars missions which Orion would be a part of it seems like every time you see them release something on it, its footage of landing/splashdown test.

If you remember they launched the first test flight back in 2014 and do have a Booster abort test scheduled for April but then nothing until sometime next year when they will do a unmanned mission to the moon to put it into lunar orbit for about about a month. The nothing until 2023 with a proposed manned flight for a flyby of the moon and to possibly start construction of a Lunar orbit Space Station.

We do have to take into account that the Obama Administration set them back when he cancelled the Constellation Program which included the two rocket systems and the proposed lunar lander.
 
#1,164
#1,164
CagleMtnVol said:
I'm pretty sure that the Trump Administration increased their budget particularly to focus on the moon & mars missions which Orion would be a part of it seems like every time you see them release something on it, its footage of landing/splashdown test.

If you remember they launched the first test flight back in 2014 and do have a Booster abort test scheduled for April but then nothing until sometime next year when they will do a unmanned mission to the moon to put it into lunar orbit for about about a month. The nothing until 2023 with a proposed manned flight for a flyby of the moon and to possibly start construction of a Lunar orbit Space Station.

We do have to take into account that the Obama Administration set them back when he cancelled the Constellation Program which included the two rocket systems and the proposed lunar lander.
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It's a bit more complicated than just saying Obama cancelled Constellation. You do realize that the launch today was made possible because some of the Constellation money went into subsidizing the private sector space industry. The SLS is going to be a more versatile system anyway.
 
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#1,166
#1,166
Since according to AOC we only have 12 years left I say to hell with space and let’s find something fun to do with that money !
 
#1,169
#1,169
Grand Vol said:
Are you taking more adaptable than the Constellation program or what's currently on the private sector?
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When ultimately completed there will be different variants of SLS. We will have capabilities for earth orbit. Moon landings. Mars missions and missions to the outer reaches of the solar system. Les would like to see the private sector completely take over commercial satellite and many manned orbital missions. Of course NASA will still be involved in most military and classified missions. Also SLS will be a more powerful system than Constellation which means larger payloads. (flash: don't be surprised it SLS is canceled before it is completely finished. It will fly but it may be replaced before all components are fully operational)

Before Les took over the Solar Sails and Advanced Propulsion projects he was Deputy Director of NASA's Advanced Concepts Office. They were charged with planning for 20-50 years ahead. It's not well publicized but he believes it is possible to have a cube sat arrive at Alpha Centauri via solar sails propelled by laser within 30 years. Of course there would be no slowing down and a cube sat would have to be very low mass and could only send back very limited information. But it would be inspirational. Also did you know there is a Tennessee Valley Interstellar Workshop. If interested google it.
 
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#1,172
#1,172
Some movement on SpaceX and Boeing's upcoming test flights.

"NASA, Partners Update Commercial Crew Launch Dates

NASA and its Commercial Crew Program providers Boeing and SpaceX have agreed to move the target launch dates for the upcoming inaugural test flights of their next generation American spacecraft and rockets that will launch astronauts to the International Space Station.

The agency now is targeting March 2 for launch of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon on its uncrewed Demo-1 test flight. Boeing’s uncrewed Orbital Flight Test is targeted for launch no earlier than April.

These adjustments allow for completion of necessary hardware testing, data verification, remaining NASA and provider reviews, as well as training of flight controllers and mission managers.

The uncrewed test flights will be the first time commercially-built and operated American spacecraft designed for humans will dock to the space station. The first flights are dress rehearsals for missions with astronauts aboard the vehicles. Commercial crew has continued working toward these historic missions throughout the month of January.

“The uncrewed flight tests are a great dry run for not only our hardware, but for our team to get ready for our crewed flight tests,” said Kathy Lueders, Commercial Crew Program manager. “NASA has been working together with SpaceX and Boeing to make sure we are ready to conduct these test flights and get ready to learn critical information that will further help us to fly our crews safely. We always learn from tests.”

In January, SpaceX successfully completed a static fire test of its Falcon 9 with Crew Dragon atop the rocket at Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida, in preparation for Demo-1.

Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner continues to undergo testing in preparation for its Orbital Flight Test, and United Launch Alliance is conducting final processing of the Atlas V rocket that will launch Starliner from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

“There still are many critical steps to complete before launch and while we eagerly are anticipating these launches, we will step through our test flight preparations and readiness reviews,” said Lueders. “We are excited about seeing the hardware we have followed through development, integration, and ground testing move into flight.”

NASA’s Commercial Crew Program will return human spaceflight launches to U.S. soil, providing safe, reliable and cost-effective access to low-Earth orbit and the space station on systems that meet safety and performance requirements.

To meet NASA’s requirements, the commercial providers must demonstrate their systems are ready to begin regular flights to the space station. After the uncrewed flight tests, Boeing and SpaceX will complete a flight test with crew prior to being certified by NASA for crew rotation missions. The following planning dates reflect inputs by the Commercial Crew Program and the two companies and are current as of Feb. 4, 2019.

Test Flight Planning Dates:
SpaceX Demo-1 (uncrewed): March 2, 2019
Boeing Orbital Flight Test (uncrewed): NET April 2019
Boeing Pad Abort Test: NET May 2019
SpaceX In-Flight Abort Test: June 2019
SpaceX Demo-2 (crewed): July 2019
Boeing Crew Flight Test (crewed): NET August 2019

SpaceX also completed a pad abort test in 2015. Following the test flights, NASA will review performance data and resolve any necessary issues to certify the systems for operational missions. Boeing, SpaceX and the Commercial Crew Program are actively working to be ready for the operational missions. As with all human spaceflight vehicle development, learning from each test and adjusting as necessary to reduce risk to the crew may override planning dates."

----> LINK: NASA, Partners Update Commercial Crew Launch Dates
 
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