CEV was never intended to make it off the ground

[bobunf]

"FDR was right about the dangers of the military industrial complex"<br /><br />It wasn't Roosevelt, it was Eisenhower on January 17, 1961. Roosevelt had been dead for 15 years.

 

[edawg]

apologies I get my history lessons mixed up.has anyone seen the front page of space.com?

 

[vulture2]

>>Using the SRB as the CLV first stage maintains production and expertise from the end of STS until start up of Ares V. <br /><br />If the stick were cut, they could use the money to start work on the heavy lift vehicle now, at least at a low level. The best way to develop and maintain expertise for a system is to build prototypes and technology demonstrators directly related to the ultimate system, not something else that uses somewhat similar components.<br /><br />Moreover there are alternatives to the SRBs; post Challenger a variety of liquid fuel boosters were considered as replacements for them. Parallel-staged LRBs have been used on the Soyuz, Ariane 4, Long March and Energia; the latter were similar to the first stage of the Zenit, which remains in production, and thus could probably be procured quickly and at reasonable cost.

 

[nuaetius]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>If the stick were cut, they could use the money to start work on the heavy lift vehicle now, at least at a low level. The best way to develop and maintain expertise for a system is to build prototypes and technology demonstrators directly related to the ultimate system, not something else that uses somewhat similar components. <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />If my memory serves me Dr. Griffen has a very close relationship with ATK. I don't think the Stick design will go away untill he does.