Is CEV going to service ISS or will we rely on Soyuz?

[willpittenger]

Before it can go to ISS, CEV must have a compatible docking system. I assume the docking system would be the same system for the lander. It is either that or have two versions: one to go to ISS and the other to the Moon. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[qso1]

Too early to tell for sure but:<br /><br />First off, CEV could get the ax if Democrats get the White House in 2008. They may decide we need no manned program and shut the whole thing down.<br /><br />Short of that, we are set to rely on Soyuz during the period between last shuttle first CEV flights. The 2010-2014 period. <br /><br />CEV is illustrated approaching ISS which implies they are going to have the capability to dock with it. IIRC, they plan to develop an ISS/LSAM compatible docking system. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[vt_hokie]

I don't agree that Democrats are likely to decide we need no manned space program. However, I wouldn't mind seeing the porkbarrel CEV program cancelled. Let's give a tenth of the money to someone like SpaceDev and see what they can come up with.

 

[qso1]

Democrats deciding we need no space program is a worst case scenario but the more likely is a continued shoestring funded effort.<br /><br />Rather than give a company the money, let them prove that private enterprise can do it without government funding which would end the funding problems inherant with the program as it stands today. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[rfoshaug]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>let them prove that private enterprise can do it without government funding<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />Nothing is stopping them from proving that themselves.<br /><br />An expensive government-funded space program does not exclude the possibility of a privately-funded private enterprise type of effort. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font color="#ff9900">----------------------------------</font></p><p><font color="#ff9900">My minds have many opinions</font></p> </div>

 

[willpittenger]

Witness the X-Prize and Space Ship One/Two. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[qso1]

rfoshaug:<br />Nothing is stopping them from proving that themselves. <br /><br />An expensive government-funded space program does not exclude the possibility of a privately-funded private enterprise type of effort.<br /><br />Me:<br />Thats true and as willpittenger pointed out, look at Rutan and Scaled Composites. There are others now waiting in the wings and the government could subsidize the efforts but that may or may not be necessary. I'd personally like to see private enterprise do inexpensive access to space so NASA can be freed up to do that which is probably still beyond private enterprise effort such as a mission to Mars and at some point, they probably will subsidize private efforts as needed. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[gunsandrockets]

"It is either that or have two versions: one to go to ISS and the other to the Moon."<br /><br />It's already the plan to have two versions of the CEV. The so-called 'block one' for ISS missions and the 'block two' for lunar missions.<br /><br />But NASA really doesn't want to use the CEV for ISS support, that's the reason for the COTS program.<br /><br />http://www.spacetoday.net/Summary/3352

 

[nacnud]

Does anyone know what Andrews has planned?

 

[bdewoody]

I can't help but think that the CEV as I have seen it depicted is a giant leap BACKWARDS.<br /><br />I know it's difficult and somewhat dangerous to have a re-entry vehicle that can fly to a landing strip and make an aircraft type landing on landing gear but to go back to a capsule landing under a parachute thats so primative. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em><font size="2">Bob DeWoody</font></em> </div>

 

[nacnud]

<font color="yellow">I can't help but think that the CEV as I have seen it depicted is a giant leap BACKWARDS. <br /><br /><font color="white">Then your obviously missing the point of the CEV. It's only a small part of a much larger system. While the CEV alone might seem to have a much smaller capablity than the Shuttle the Constelation system as a whole has a much greater capacity, especialy if you include the ISS.</font></font>

 

[nacnud]

Yeah. There seem to be three programs there that could be cinsidered, but I think the Alterant Acess one is probably most likely. Thanks for the link.

 

[frodo1008]

There are indeed some democrats in congress that have been some of the greatest supporters of NASA, sorry but that is the truth! And by far the greatest threat to NASA's funding comes from such areas as the Republican (with addmittedly the help of spinless Democrats) war in Iraq! I have gone through this before with the (Democrat) war in Viet Nahm killing the original space program. If that program had recieved reasonable continuing funding we would now be on both the moon and Mars with permanent bases! <br /><br />So maybe getting more Democrats in congress if not the White House itsef may restore some degree of fiscal sanity to the federal government by stopping the bleeding of hundreds of billions of dolars (to say nothing of some of the best blood of our own people) in the sands of the MIddle East! <br /><br />Heck, we could even use that money not only for helping NASA, but even increasing OUR security here at home, and even more importanly becomming energy independent of the Middle East, so we could tell these fanatics to go and "Eat Their Oil!!"

 

[crix]

This was news to me:<br /><br />We (USA) get the majority of our oil from Canada.(!)<br /><br />http://www.cbc.ca/story/business/national/2006/06/27/energy.html

 

[vt_hokie]

Seems the Republican administration is out to dismantle Amtrak once and for all. I am now of the opinion that if we cannot even afford a decent passenger rail system in this increasingly third world country, then we certainly cannot afford to spend billions on sending a couple of people to the moon.

 

[strawshort]

Also, Bigelow Aerospace is going up with their prototype within the next two weeks:<br /><br />http://www.bigelowaerospace.com/multiverse/news.php<br />

 

[crix]

Please, that's so fatalist and unfair. Apples and oranges.

 

[qso1]

vt_hokie:<br />Seems the Republican administration is out to dismantle Amtrak once and for all...<br /><br />Me:<br />So basically we can't afford to go to the moon but we can afford to do Iraq and maintain $400 plus billion dollar deficits yearly? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>

 

[willpittenger]

I had not heard of CXV or COTS. What does CXV stand for? Is that something that Rutan just threw out there? I thought he was concentrating on Space Ship Two. (Or making Space Ship One do what it supposedly had been able to do all along: carry 3 passengers.) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Will Pittenger<hr style="margin-top:0.5em;margin-bottom:0.5em" />Add this user box to your Wikipedia User Page to show your support for the SDC forums: <div style="margin-left:1em">{{User:Will Pittenger/User Boxes/Space.com Account}}</div> </div>

 

[frodo1008]

It would have been nice if the article had given actual figures. Last time I googled this subject we (the US) were importing some 60% of our oil, and of that about 50% came from the Middle East. Now it is indeed possible that Canada has now passed Saudi Arabia as the largest single oil exporter to the US, but Saudi Arabia isn't all of the oil that the US imports form the MIddle East!<br /><br />Don't get me wrong here, I am one of those that would be very happy to see us import far less Middle Eastern oil, and far more from morre reliable sources such as Canada. After all, if that condition was actually reached now, what the H__L are we doing in the Middle East?<br /><br />And don't give me the common conservative baloney about fighting terrorism. We are only giving the terrorist Extreme Islamic people an even greater excuse for their fanaticism! Heck, we are giving them direct training against the best military in the world, what do you think we mere civilians are going to be able to do against them!!

 

[frodo1008]

I do have one appology to make however. That is that we (I am as guilty as others) do seem to have gotten off subject here!<br /><br />For that I appologise!

 

[qso1]

Heres a couple of links and as you can see with CXV, this ones not a Rutan/Scaled Composites project.<br /><br />CXV:<br />http://www.transformspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=projects.view&workid=CCD3097A-96B6-175C-97F15F270F2B83AA<br /><br />COTS:<br />http://www.sei.cmu.edu/cbs/<br /><br />What I haven't seen on CXV is what they plan to air launch it with, considering a rocket is in that loop somewhere. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><strong>My borrowed quote for the time being:</strong></p><p><em>There are three kinds of people in life. Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen...and those who do not know what happened.</em></p> </div>