How to spend the $6 billion for com. crew

[voyager4d]

Ref. page 10 -> http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/420990main_FY_201_ Budget_Overview_1_Feb_2010.pdf

How would you spend $6 billion over 5 years on commercial crew capabilities?

I would do somthing like:
1. White Knight 3 - $750 mill
2. Space Ship 3 (LEO version) - $500 mill
3. SpaceX Dragon (Human rating, escape capa. etc.) - $500 mill
4. Dream Chaser - $500 mill
5. Orion (to be used on Delta 4 heavy, Atlas 5 or Ariane 5) - $750 mill
6. Delta 4 heavy (human rating) - $500 mill
7. Atlas 5 (human rating) - $500 mill
8. Ariane 5 (Human rating) - $500 mill
9. Blue Origin - Shepard etc. - $500 mill
10. ? $500 mill
11. ? $500 mill

 

[Gravity_Ray]

you can take the money you were going to spend on WK3 and SS3 and use it somewhere else. VG has stated that they will not develop their orbital capability, and will instead focus on point to point transportaion. For them there is more money to fly rich people from NY to Tokoyo in a couple of hours I guess.

 

[voyager4d]

you can take the money you were going to spend on WK3 and SS3 and use it somewhere else. VG has stated that they will not develop their orbital capability, and will instead focus on point to point transportaion. For them there is more money to fly rich people from NY to Tokoyo in a couple of hours I guess.

They have said that Space Ship 3, would properly be a point to point transportation plane.
But if someone offers them $500 mill to make it orbital instead, I'm sure they will not refuse.
They could properly also use the same White Knight for a orbital and a point to point version of there space plane.

 

[bdewoody]

Going from sub-orbital to orbital is an order of magnitude increase in difficulty and expense. Just watching the final two hours of preparation before the shuttle launch brought home to me the level of care it takes to insure the safety of the crew. It ain't like hopping into an airliner buckling up and relaxing for a comfortable trip.

 

[voyager4d]

Going from sub-orbital to orbital is an order of magnitude increase in difficulty and expense. Just watching the final two hours of preparation before the shuttle launch brought home to me the level of care it takes to insure the safety of the crew. It ain't like hopping into an airliner buckling up and relaxing for a comfortable trip.

We are getting way off topic here..
This topic is not about if it is possible or not for the private companies.
This topic is about what companies or project would you support if you could choose.

And remember it is expected for the companies to invest a great deal of money themself for this (or find other sponsors).

 

[DarkenedOne]

Ref. page 10 -> http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/420990main_FY_201_ Budget_Overview_1_Feb_2010.pdf

How would you spend $6 billion over 5 years on commercial crew capabilities?

I would do somthing like:
1. White Knight 3 - $750 mill
2. Space Ship 3 (LEO version) - $500 mill
3. SpaceX Dragon (Human rating, escape capa. etc.) - $500 mill
4. Dream Chaser - $500 mill
5. Orion (to be used on Delta 4 heavy, Atlas 5 or Ariane 5) - $750 mill
6. Delta 4 heavy (human rating) - $500 mill
7. Atlas 5 (human rating) - $500 mill
8. Ariane 5 (Human rating) - $500 mill
9. Blue Origin - Shepard etc. - $500 mill
10. ? $500 mill
11. ? $500 mill

I do not believe that the idea is to just hand out money.

The idea is to have contracts such as COTS. First the companies submit proposals for a crewed vehicle capable of taking crew to and from LEO. The government then provides a bit of seed money to help with development. Then if the developed craft meets all expectations then give them contracts to do the work.

 

[EarthlingX]

Make a race, create the rules, go !
Let the best one win.

 

[voyager4d]

I do not believe that the idea is to just hand out money.

The idea is to have contracts such as COTS. First the companies submit proposals for a crewed vehicle capable of taking crew to and from LEO. The government then provides a bit of seed money to help with development. Then if the developed craft meets all expectations then give them contracts to do the work.

Yes of course there will be some milestones, and when they reach them they will get part of the money. If they don't reach the milestones the money will go to someone else. Just like COTS.
I'm just trying to say what projects/companies I think should get the money. So when I say that Space Ship 3 should get $500 mill, then that is the total ammount they will get, if they complete all the milestones they have made with NASA.

So what companies/projects do you think should get part the money and why?

 

[voyager4d]

http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/428356main_Exploration.pdf

The competition will result in a targeted portfolio of up to four companies with a mixed risk balance consisting of launch vehicles, crew capsules, and supporting technologies, similar to the Commercial Crew Development awards from Recovery Act funds announced on February 2, 2010.

Ok, they have set a maximum on 4 programs.

Unlike the COTS program, which exclusively funded entirely new and integrated systems (launch vehicles plus capsules), this program will also be open to a broad range of commercial proposals including, but not limited to: human-rating existing launch vehicles, developing spacecraft for delivering crew to the ISS that can be launched on multiple launch vehicles, or developing new high-reliability rocket systems.

And according to this, the 4 most likely programs must be:
1. SpaceX: Human rating of there Falcon 9 rocket and there Dragon capsule.
2. ULA: Human rating of Atlas 5.
3. Boeing: Construction of Orion Lite.
4. Sierra Nevada Corporation (SpaceDev): Construction of Dream Chaser.

These 4 programs would give us, 2 human rated rockets and 3 spacecrafts.

But I still hope they can find a way to support the construction of SpaceShip 3 (or 4 LEO version).
It would properly leed to the construction of 3 “crafts”:
1. A huge WhiteKnight 3, witch could also be used for other transportation purposes.
2. Second stage expendable rocket or fly back booster.
3. SpaceShip 3/4, a LEO spaceplane.