Comments on: How to Save the U.S. Space Program http://www.scienceprogress.org/2008/11/how-to-save-the-us-space-program/ Progressive approaches to science policy Thu, 18 Mar 2010 19:45:30 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5 hourly 1 By: Michael F. Sarabia http://www.scienceprogress.org/2008/11/how-to-save-the-us-space-program/comment-page-1/#comment-3776 Michael F. Sarabia Thu, 11 Dec 2008 04:26:00 +0000 http://www.scienceprogress.org/2008/11/how-to-save-the-us-space-program/#comment-3776 A new shuttle was build during the Reagan Administration for about one Billion. It would now cost probably $2 Billion, a lot less than the VSE program that never had a price tag but had been earlier estimated at over $150 Billion, and no one even attempted to justify the cost. Even if diamonds were picked on the surface, the trip would not pay for itself. The need to go to the moon was never explained. Perhaps Pres. Obama could both announce our plan to honor previous commitments and schedule purchase of a new shuttle and announce there will be no manned flights to ISS after certain date, something like 2025, to let the world know and allow better NASA planning. Subject to change, if a cheaper way to reach orbit is developed. Pres. Obama Administration could announce a contribution to the X-Prize (now Ansari X-Prize) that is trying to reduce the cost to reach orbital flight. I think he will be fascinated to meet the people that are doing this work, supported by a Microsoft Corp. founder. Another development that needs support is a new way to fight forest fires. Boeing is partner with a Canadian logging company to builf s new kind of blimp with four helicopter propellers attached to the gondola, to move logs out of the forest without building expensive and damaging roads. This same heli/blimp seems ideal to fight forest fires and may be the cheapest way to do it. This year, California alone spend well over $100 Million to fight fires with airplanes, and the losses were estimated over $300 Million. The impact on Global Warming is prudently ignored. The best way to support new technology is to try it out and put it to work, if it performs as promised. A new shuttle was build during the Reagan Administration for about one Billion. It would now cost probably $2 Billion, a lot less than the VSE program that never had a price tag but had been earlier estimated at over $150 Billion, and no one even attempted to justify the cost.
Even if diamonds were picked on the surface, the trip would not pay for itself. The need to go to the moon was never explained.

Perhaps Pres. Obama could both announce our plan to honor previous commitments and schedule purchase of a new shuttle and announce there will be no manned flights to ISS after certain date, something like 2025, to let the world know and allow better NASA planning. Subject to change, if a cheaper way to reach orbit is developed.

Pres. Obama Administration could announce a contribution to the X-Prize (now Ansari X-Prize) that is trying to reduce the cost to reach orbital flight. I think he will be fascinated to meet the people that are doing this work, supported by a Microsoft Corp. founder.

Another development that needs support is a new way to fight forest fires. Boeing is partner with a Canadian logging company to builf s new kind of blimp with four helicopter propellers attached to the gondola, to move logs out of the forest without building expensive and damaging roads. This same heli/blimp seems ideal to fight forest fires and may be the cheapest way to do it.
This year, California alone spend well over $100 Million to fight fires with airplanes, and the losses were estimated over $300 Million. The impact on Global Warming is prudently ignored.
The best way to support new technology is to try it out and put it to work, if it performs as promised.

]]> By: Michael F. Sarabia http://www.scienceprogress.org/2008/11/how-to-save-the-us-space-program/comment-page-1/#comment-3759 Michael F. Sarabia Wed, 10 Dec 2008 04:27:13 +0000 http://www.scienceprogress.org/2008/11/how-to-save-the-us-space-program/#comment-3759 Another project that requires new attention is the ability to detect forest fires from satellites and track all ships in selected areas to monitor those who may come to attack our shores or cargo ships. By storing track data, reverse tracking could identify all ports visited. NASA and NOAA could develop ways to monitor the growing effects due to Global Warming. We need to better monitor the contents of our atmosphere with satellites, airplanes, balloons, etc. Flight tests are being conducted of airplanes with solar cells and batteries that can fly non-stop for days and weeks. They could track ships from suspect ports and possibly dangerous to shores or ships of our allies. Another project that requires new attention is the ability to detect forest fires from satellites and track all ships in selected areas to monitor those who may come to attack our shores or cargo ships. By storing track data, reverse tracking could identify all ports visited.
NASA and NOAA could develop ways to monitor the growing effects due to Global Warming. We need to better monitor the contents of our atmosphere with satellites, airplanes, balloons, etc.
Flight tests are being conducted of airplanes with solar cells and batteries that can fly non-stop for days and weeks. They could track ships from suspect ports and possibly dangerous to shores or ships of our allies.

]]> By: Michael F. Sarabia http://www.scienceprogress.org/2008/11/how-to-save-the-us-space-program/comment-page-1/#comment-3758 Michael F. Sarabia Wed, 10 Dec 2008 04:07:49 +0000 http://www.scienceprogress.org/2008/11/how-to-save-the-us-space-program/#comment-3758 Complete and excellent Article. A part I most agree: "Former Sen. John Glenn of Ohio has called the Bush VSE program “one of the biggest unfunded mandates that we have had in all of government history. As for space-based science, President Bush’s 2004 speech and NASA press releases signaled that science would not be a priority. As NASA has scraped to find the money to fund the VSE program, science has paid the price with large cuts in its research programs, space-based science missions, including earth observation satellites, and the aeronautics program." I would drop the VSE Program commitments as fast as possible and add the "research programs, space-based science missions, including earth observation satellites, and the aeronautics program", aeronautic projects were desimated, wind tunnels shut, flight test work reduced or ended, etc. Wind tunnels serve to train future scientist and solve the many problems computers will never solve. That is why airplane companies always use the first few airplanes with a new design for testing. And add a recommendation to develop satellites designed to be repaired and maintained with robotic systems. For example, the follow-up to the Hubble to be larger telescope placed, at the stable site between Earth and Moon, designed to be repaired only with robotic missions, tested in near Earth orbit. Such a device was described in a NASA Meeting in Boston, in the 1960s by a NASA Scientist sold on robots with Artificial Intelligence (AI) in space. AI increases the ability to repair unanticipated failure -the likely kind. Complete and excellent Article.
A part I most agree: “Former Sen. John Glenn of Ohio has called the Bush VSE program “one of the biggest unfunded mandates that we have had in all of government history.
As for space-based science, President Bush’s 2004 speech and NASA press releases signaled that science would not be a priority. As NASA has scraped to find the money to fund the VSE program, science has paid the price with large cuts in its research programs, space-based science missions, including earth observation satellites, and the aeronautics program.”
I would drop the VSE Program commitments as fast as possible and add the “research programs, space-based science missions, including earth observation satellites, and the aeronautics program”, aeronautic projects were desimated, wind tunnels shut, flight test work reduced or ended, etc. Wind tunnels serve to train future scientist and solve the many problems computers will never solve. That is why airplane companies always use the first few airplanes with a new design for testing.
And add a recommendation to develop satellites designed to be repaired and maintained with robotic systems.
For example, the follow-up to the Hubble to be larger telescope placed, at the stable site between Earth and Moon, designed to be repaired only with robotic missions, tested in near Earth orbit. Such a device was described in a NASA Meeting in Boston, in the 1960s by a NASA Scientist sold on robots with Artificial Intelligence (AI) in space. AI increases the ability to repair unanticipated failure -the likely kind.

]]>