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starship-design: FW: SSRT: Space Subcommittee authorizes another X-vehicle (fwd)
Long experience has taught me not to believe in the limitations indicated by purely theoretical considerations. These - as we well know - are based on insufficient knowledge of all the relevant factors."
Guglielmo Marconi
-----Original Message-----
From: Chris W. Johnson [SMTP:chrisj@mail.utexas.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, April 15, 1997 1:33 AM
To: Single Stage Rocket Technology News
Subject: SSRT: Space Subcommittee authorizes another X-vehicle (fwd)
--------
Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1997 17:18:58 -0700 (MST)
From: Donald Doughty <doughtd@pr.erau.edu>
To: DC-X <delta-clipper@world.std.com>
Subject: NEWS: Space Subcommittee authorizes another X-vehicle!! (fwd)
Reply-To: delta-clipper@europe.std.com
The key words in this bill are "technologies more advanced than," does
this mean an SSTO VL vehicle not an option for this funding?
Can this be changed during the bill markup? See section II below.
..Don Doughty, DC-X List Manager
(II) $150,000,000, which shall only be a
program of focused technology demonstrations
to support the competitive awarding of a
contract to develop, build, and flight test
an experimental single-stage-to-orbit
demonstration vehicle using design concepts
different from, and technologies more
advanced than, the design concepts and
technologies used for the X-33 program; and
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 14 Apr 1997 02:12:08 -0400 (EDT)
From: SpFrontier@aol.com
Subject: NEWS: Space Subcommittee authorizes another X-vehicle!!
****************************************
* ProSpace LEGISLATIVE News ALERT *
* Distribute to all lists *
****************************************
* Congressional Space Subcomittee *
* to authorize NEW X-vehicle, *
* and other Good news *
****************************************
****************************************
* To be ADDED to this List, or *
* to be REMOVED from this List *
* send a request to SpFrontier@aol.com *
****************************************
*******************************************************
* TABLE OF CONTENTS *
* *
* 1) Good News from the House Space Subcommittee *
* 2) Coming: Future opportunities for Citizen Action *
* 3) APPENDIX: Language from H.R. 1275 *
* *
*******************************************************
**************************
1) Good News from Congress
**************************
Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, Chairman of the House Space Subcommittee, has
introduced H.R. 1275, the "Civilian Space Authorization Act." This bill
brings a wealth of good progress, as it acts on many of the requests of the
55 citizens who came to Washington, D.C. just 4 weeks ago. Visit
"www.space-frontier.org/ProSpace" to see a copy of the bill.
A Summary of the GOOD News in H.R. 1275:
* It is a *2-year* authorization for NASA, the Office
of Commercial Space Transportation in the Federal
Aviation Administration, and the Office of Space
Commerce in the Department of Commerce.
* It FULLY funds the X-33 program at $333,500,000 in
FY98, and $313,900,000 in FY99.
(Detailed legislative language in Appendix below).
--> This is what ProSpace, and the 55 "Friends of the
Frontier" (the citizens who came to Washington, DC
last month) asked for in the March Storm. Plus we
get a bonus - full funding for the X-33 will be
authorized for the following year.
* It gives the X-33 program its own budget line item.
This will help protect it from potential bureaucratic
power plays inside NASA, and is an indication of
Congress' strong support for the program.
****BIG NEWS****
* It authorizes $750,000,000 (over 2 years) for a
BRAND-NEW X-vehicle.
(Detailed legislative language in Appendix below).
--> This is exactly the kind of leadership that the
American people are looking for from our elected
leaders. NASA Administrator Dan Goldin has said
he wants to "blacken the sky with x-vehicles"
and now PART of Congress has demonstrated that it
is willing to act.
ProSpace believes that "Cheap Access to Space" is
the No#1 short-term policy goal of our nation. In
this spirit, ProSpace and the "Friends of the
Frontier" are fighting for a continuing series
of X-vehicles to follow the X-33.
The "Friends" asked for a new x-vehicle program
during the March Storm last month. Now it looks
like we have a chance - IF the rest of the
prospace American public is ready to join this
fight. If we act TOGETHER we can and will get it
through the rest of Congress over the next
several months.
* It legislatively creates and fully funds the *Office
of Space Commerce* in the Department of Commerce.
--> ProSpace strongly supports this action. The
Department of Commerce should be given the
resources to take on a *much* larger role in
the commercialization and economic development
of space.
* It provides small increases for important science
initiatives, such as asteroid detection and the
Clementine II asteroid intercept mission. Overall,
it provides steady funding for space science.
* It directs NASA to purchase space science from
commercial vendors.
--> ProSpace believes this is one area that NASA
program management could demonstrate some
real leadership. The opportunity to look
GOOD is there right now.
* It authorizes funding for *commercial* purchase of
environmental data for Mission to Planet Earth.
* It directs NASA to pursue the *greatest* possible
commercial participation and use of the Internat-
ional Space Station.
--> ProSpace strongly supports this, and believes
the entire Space Station should be transferred
to a commercial international entity after
construction is completed.
One interesting possibility being discussed
is a "Space Station Port Authority" like the
authorities that operate most of the major
seaports and airports in the United States.
As envisioned, an International Authority
would operate all aspects of the Station,
provide the specified share of science
utilization to each country's scientists,
lease additional rack space to commercial
users, and commercially purchase all goods
and services (including transportation of
people) needed by the Station.
If there is a need for more power, or if there
is not enough rack-space for commercial companies
or scientists, the authority could just build
it ... maybe in a year or two instead of decades.
* Consistent with the President's National Space Policy,
it mandates the purchase of, and prohibits NASA
competition with, commercially-available space goods
and services.
--> ProSpace believes this action demonstrates clear
bi-partisan agreement between the Congress and
the White House on some things that NASA could
change now.
*******************************************
2) Coming: Opportunities for Citizen Action
*******************************************
This bill from the House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics is only part
of the story. We, the American people, need to get the other parts of
Congress to join with the House space subcommittee.
That is where you come in. ProSpace will be sending out alerts in the near
future asking for your letters, and your phone calls, to complete the job
that 55 Americans started. We need everybody's help.
First, we will need to get the House Appropriations Subcommittee on VA, HUD
and Independent Agencies (which has jurisdiction over funding for space) to
support the X-33 and this brand-new X-vehicle.
Second, we will need to get the Senate to support the exact same things in
both the authorization side, and on the appropriation side.
And we still have the fight for the commercial space bill!!
Keep your computers tuned to this channel. A lot more action is coming our
way. The only thing at stake is your future, our future, on the space
frontier.
See you on the Frontier!
- Charles
Charles E. Miller
President
ProSpace - The Citizens' Space Lobby
********************
For More Information
********************
Send an email request to "SpFrontier@aol.com",
Visit "www.space-frontier.org/ProSpace", or
Call 707-649-0225 (9 a.m. to 4 p.m. PST).
*****************************************
3) APPENDIX: Some Language from H.R. 1275
*****************************************
Following are selected portions of HR 1275, the "Civilian
Space Authorization Act." To see the ENTIRE BILL, visit ProSpace's website
at "www.space-frontier.org/ProSpace".
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
(A) for fiscal year 1998 ...
(ii) $696,600,000 shall be for Advanced Space
Transportation, including-
(I) $333,500,000, which shall only be for
the X-33 advanced technology demonstration
vehicle program, including $3,700,000 for
rehabilitation and modification of the B2
test stand, Stennis Space Center;
(II) $150,000,000, which shall only be a
program of focused technology demonstrations
to support the competitive awarding of a
contract to develop, build, and flight test
an experimental single-stage-to-orbit
demonstration vehicle using design concepts
different from, and technologies more
advanced than, the design concepts and
technologies used for the X-33 program; and
(III) $150,000,000, which shall only be for the
procurement of an experimental vehicle
described in subclause (II), after the
expiration of 30 days after the Admin-
istrator has transmitted to the Committee
on Science of the House of Representatives
and the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation of the Senate a written
report including a plan for the experimental
vehicle program and the projected costs
thereof; and
****AND****
(B) for fiscal year 1999, ...
(ii) $818,600,000 shall be for Advanced Space
Transportation, including-
(I) $313,900,000, which shall only be for the
X-33 advanced technology demonstration
vehicle program; and
(II) $450,000,000, which shall only be for
the procurement of an experimental vehicle
described in subparagraph (A)(ii)(II); and
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''