Constellation Risks

[radarredux]

Just thought I would throw out a couple of risks facing the Constellation program that I have read about recently.<br /><br />(1) If NASA is funded by a year-long continuing resolution for FY 08 (as it was for FY 07), it would push the operational status of Orion to 2016. Of course, that is when NASA is set to exit ISS, thus giving Orion no effective mission until ~2020 when the Lunar missions are supposed to start. (AW&ST, "Kept in Suspense", Dec 3, 2007)<br /><br />(2) There is currently an amendment to force NASA to continuing flying the shuttle past 2010. Of course, that would suck up all the development dollars for the Constellation program effectively killing it. (NASA Watch)<br /><br />And of course there are less concrete risks because of the presidential elections. On the democratic side Hillary has made little to no commitment to the manned side of space exploration, and Obama has pledged to cut funding in order to pay for education programs.

 

[holmec]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>thus giving Orion no effective mission until ~2020 when the Lunar missions are supposed to start.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />Depends what your calling "lunar missions". If you mean flights that land on the moon, fine. But don't forget all the flights that have to be made to prepare for the landings.<br /><br />test out rockets, spacecraft.<br /><br />Anyway, I'm skeptical that NASA will no longer take trips to the ISS by 2016. <br /><br />NASA's 2007 june report<br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>Now, Bingham said, NASA has promised to find out by 2014 what it would take to keep the station up and running beyond its 2016 certified design life and is reporting progress lining up other users.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />Other users......How will they get there? I imagine they may charter an Orion capsule.<br /><br />This means that ISS is going "free-agent" (sports term). So NASA's money for ISS runs out in 2016 or 2017 and from then on its usage is incertain. <br /><br />Funny thing is that no one has yet said that Orion will not be traveling to ISS during that time. I guess its too soon to know. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[larper]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>2) There is currently an amendment to force NASA to continuing flying the shuttle past 2010.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />I am on record in this forum for predicting that we will see at least 1 shuttle launch in 2012. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong><font color="#ff0000">Vote </font><font color="#3366ff">Libertarian</font></strong></p> </div>