jay: (exploring)
jay ([personal profile] jay) wrote2004-01-09 07:14 pm
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Back to the future...

I'm dubious of the latest plan... abandoning the shuttle in a couple of years, reverting to a capsule architecture to go back to the Moon by 2013. But at least they have the rationale for the Moon (correctly, IMO) being to prepare to go to Mars by 2020. Otherwise, the Moon itself is close enough that we can easily explore it with telerobotics at much lower cost. Mars, on the other hand, needs humans there because of the transmission lags to Earth.

Now, for the details... what I've heard of the plan thus far sounds like it was written by the JSC old-guard.
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[identity profile] trinker.livejournal.com 2004-01-10 01:36 am (UTC)(link)
a) Brian, may I link to this entry? I've had people ask me why I've got reservations about the proposal, and this goes a long way toward explaining.

b) That includes all the aeronautic stuff, like FAA related projects, yes?

[identity profile] brian1789.livejournal.com 2004-01-10 08:24 am (UTC)(link)
a) OK, but I'm hardly an authoritative source, just repeating in-house rumors. I think spacewatch.com has something up... we've been hearing various versions of this for a couple of months.

b) Unclear whether it redirects everything within human spaceflight towards the lunar return, or *everything* towards it. Things like on-orbit microgravity research are likely doomed. I'd expect Earth Observing to take huge cuts, if only because if provides data on environmental degradation which is politically uncomfortable to friends of the current administration. One scenario has most aeronautics either cut-outright or transferred to the FAA (one reason for not announcing it on the Wright Brothers' anniversary ;).

[identity profile] trinker.livejournal.com 2004-01-10 04:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Would you be more comfortable if I took your thoughts and incorporated them into mine? I'm aware that it might be...not so great for you if it looked like you were taking an "official stance".

[identity profile] brian1789.livejournal.com 2004-01-10 04:12 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't mind LJ links, per se, since that's to an obviously non-NASA site. But I wouldn't want to be quoted or attributed in an official capacity. Only as my little old private self ;-).

[identity profile] trinker.livejournal.com 2004-01-10 05:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Fair enough.
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