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starship-design: FW: SSRT: Space Access Society Political Alert 8/20/98 (fwd)
-----Original Message-----
From: listserv@ds.cc.utexas.edu [mailto:listserv@ds.cc.utexas.edu] On
Behalf Of Chris W. Johnson
Sent: Friday, August 21, 1998 8:32 PM
To: Single Stage Rocket Technology News
Subject: SSRT: Space Access Society Political Alert 8/20/98 (fwd)
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1998 17:55:01 -0400 (EDT)
From: Donald L Doughty <spacelst@world.std.com>
To: delta-clipper@world.std.com
Subject: SAS Political Alert, Military Spaceplane Funding - 8/20/98 (fwd)
Sender: delta-clipper-approval@world.std.com
Reply-To: delta-clipper@world.std.com
>Resent-From: hvanderbilt@BIX.com
>Resent-To: spacelst@world.std.com
Space Access Society Political Alert 8/20/98
"Military Spaceplane" Technology Project Funding
___________________________________________________________________
The impression among many of our advisors a year ago was that we'd
just about won, and could all go tend our own gardens. This, alas,
has turned out not to be the case. (On a personal note, being burnt
out from spending much of the last twelve years at this has gotten
boring. - HV) There's work to do. We're back.
We were never all that far gone, actually - we've been keeping an
eye on developments, butting in once or twice when needed, and of
course we put on Space Access '98 this spring, the latest of our
annual gettogethers of some of the more interesting players in the
cheap access field. (We'll be doing it again next spring; we're
currently looking at Friday April 16th through Sunday April 18th -
drop us a note ASAP if you know of a major schedule conflict we've
missed that weekend; we're close to closing the hotel contract.)
The specific thing that's stirred us out of our public silence is
a chance to usefully increase the diversity of the US government's
reusable launcher technology development efforts. Your help over
the next couple weeks can improve the odds of this happening
considerably.
___________________________________________________________________
- Summary
The USAF Military Spaceplane (MSP) technology project was line-item
vetoed last fall. Now that the line-item veto has been tossed out
by the courts, we want to see that $10 million in MSP funding for
this year restored, and we want to see at least $25 million added
for MSP to next years budget. The Congress is in recess until after
Labor Day - your Representative and Senators will likely be making
appearances locally at "town meetings", Labor Day events etc. You
may be able to find an opportunity to ask them personally to support
adding at least $25 million for USAF Military Spaceplane research to
the FY'99 Defense budget. You can definitely let their DC offices
know what you want.
___________________________________________________________________
- Background
The USAF "Military Spaceplane" (MSP) technology project grew out of
the DC-X program office at Phillips Labs in New Mexico. The
project's goal is to put together and test technologies to support
eventual development of low-cost fast-turnaround reusable military
spacecraft.
USAF MSP has been severely budget-limited, bottoming out with last
year's line-item veto, but they have managed to bring one project,
the X-40A "Space Maneuver Vehicle" (SMV), a reusable recoverable
autonomous upper stage, to the point of its successful first flight
test last week - an unpowered drop-test that checked out the X-40A's
low-speed aerodynamics and autoland capability.
USAF MSP has other worthwhile projects stuck at the planning stage
for lack of funds, in particular their Integrated Technology Testbed
(ITTB), an expandable ground-test rig that would bring together
representative reusable launcher hardware and run it through
repeated realistic space-mission simulations.
ITTB might eventually, depending on both funding and interim
results, be evolved into some sort of son-of-DC-X low-cost flight
demonstrator - but the project is designed to return useful
knowledge across a range of funding levels.
Space Access Society believes that USAF MSP is a good value for
taxpayer dollars, for a number of reasons.
- They have a good track record, building the DC-X reusable rocket
demonstrator and flying it eight times (before NASA took it over)
for roughly a hundred million dollars total, not to mention their
recent first-flight X-40A success.
- The potential USAF requirements MSP is aiming at have much in
common with potential commercial RLV operator requirements - fast
turnaround, small ground crews, minimal fixed ground infrastructure
for dispersed operations, and both ground-to-orbit and high-speed
point-to-point flight. The operational characteristics and also the
technologies USAF MSP is looking at are largely complementary to,
not competitive with, the direction various NASA RLV efforts are
taking. (NASA RLV has displayed a tendency to concentrate on
radical technological advances while paying less attention to the
mundane operational considerations that are of critical interest to
both potential military and commercial operators.) Put another way,
USAF and Fedex requirements have a lot more in common with each
other than either has with NASA's.
- MSP is cheap insurance against both hostile space competition in
the next century, and against possible problems with NASA RLV
efforts, about which the jury is still very much out. If nothing
else, a little friendly competition concentrates minds no end...
Congressional Background
Congress is out of session until after Labor Day, when they'll
reconvene for the final push to pass all the FY'99 budget bills by
early October, leaving them some time to campaign before the
November elections. The House and Senate versions of the Defense
Appropriation bill are already passed and ready for the conference
committee to hammer out the differences, and neither contains
anything for Military Spaceplane.
Normally this would mean no chance for MSP; Congressional procedure
usually forbids adding anything in conference that wasn't in at
least one version of the bill. But these are unusual circumstances:
the reason there was no MSP money in either bill was that MSP was
among the handful of items line-item vetoed last year, and until the
courts overturned the line-item veto, there seemed no point in
including MSP again only to be line-item vetoed again.
___________________________________________________________________
- SAS Action Recommendations
Who To Target
Members of the House and Senate Appropriations Defense subcommittees
(plus the overall Appropriations Committee bosses) are key; they
will most likely be the Defense Appropriations conference members.
Other members of the Appropriations Committees also have influence
here and are worth contacting, as are members of the House and
Senate Defense Authorizations committees. And even those not in any
of these positions can if they choose put in a word with their
colleagues who are.
See attached lists for whether your Representative or Senators are
on the Defense subcommittees. (Your 9-digit zip code and www.vote-
smart.org will tell you who your Representative and Senators are,
what committees they're on, and what their DC and local office phone
and fax numbers are.)
What To Do
Congress is out of session until after Labor Day - this means many
Representatives and some Senators will be back in the home districts
warming up for this fall's reelection campaigns, appearing at
numerous public and private events. Those of you who have some
previous experience at this might want to prepare a five-minute
presentation on why USAF MSP should be funded and try to make an
appointment to brief your Representative or Senator.
Any of you feeling moderately ambitious, articulate, and presentable
might want to call your Representative or Senator's local office and
ask for their local event schedule with an eye toward one where you
might have a chance to give MSP funding a ten-second pitch, and go
do it. A "town meeting" event where you can deliver a question from
the audience, a picnic where you can walk up, introduce yourself as
a constituent, and ask support for MSP funding, etc...
If you do this, bring along a one-page letter describing what it is
you're asking for, as below, so you can hand it to one of the
staffers likely to be nearby after you make your point. Then follow
up by contacting the DC office of the person you've pitched, as
below, mentioning this is something you asked their boss for at
whatever the event was.
The default is to call, write, or fax your Congressman's and/or your
Senators' DC offices, and ask that they support adding $25 million
to the (FY'99) Defense budget for Military Spaceplane technology
work in Program Element 603401F, in the Defense Appropriations
Conference.
If you call, ask to speak to the person who handles defense matters.
(If they tell you their boss isn't on any of the defense committees,
ask them if their boss could pass this along to one of his/her
colleagues who is.) Chances are you'll get switched to their
voicemail. Voicemail or in person, identify yourself as a
constituent (Hi, I'm Joe Smith from Sheboygan), make your pitch
briefly, give them a one-sentence reason why you think it's
important, thank them for their time, and ring off. If you do get
them live and they have questions, do your best to answer them.
If you write or fax, keep it short, one page max, and state your
main point at the start, then briefly give supporting points. Make
sure to sign it with where you're from ("Joe Smith, Sheboygan") so
they know you're an actual constituent.
And of course, either way, be polite - the staffers who'll likely be
handling your contact are chronically underpaid and overworked. One
bad impression can waste a lot of good impressions.
___________________________________________________________________
(Space Access Society's sole purpose is to promote near-term radical
reductions in the cost of reaching space. We encourage you to
redistribute this Alert in any medium you choose.
___________________________________________________________________
Space Access Society
http://www.space-access.org
space.access@space-access.org
"Reach low orbit and you're halfway to anywhere in the Solar System"
- Robert Anson Heinlein
___________________________________________________________________
Congressional Committee Lists
LIKELY DEFENSE APPROPRIATIONS CONFERENCE MEMBERS
House Appropriations Committee, National Security Subcommittee
(Appropriations Chair) voice fax
Livingston, Robert (R-01 LA) 1-202-225-3015 1-202-225-0739
(Appropriations Ranking Minority Member)
Obey, David R. (D-07) 1-202-225-3365 1-202-225-0561
(NatSec Subcommittee Chair)
Young, C. W. Bill (R-10 FL) 1-202-225-5961 1-202-225-9764
(NatSec Subcommittee RMM)
Murtha, John P. (D-12 PA) 1-202-225-2065 1-202-225-5709
Lewis, Jerry (R-40 CA) 1-202-225-5861 1-202-225-6498
Dixon, Julian C. (D-32 CA) 1-202-225-7084 1-202-225-4091
Randy Cunningham (R CA) 1-202-225-5452 1-202-225-2558
Visclosky, Peter J. (D-01 IN) 1-202-225-2461 1-202-225-2493
Sabo, Martin Olav (D-05 MN) 1-202-225-4755 1-202-225-4886
Hefner, Bill (D-08 NC) 1-202-225-3715 1-202-225-4036
Skeen, Joseph (R-02 NM) 1-202-225-2365 1-202-225-9599
Hobson, David L. (R-07 OH) 1-202-225-4324 1-202-225-1984
Istook, Ernest Jim (R-05 OK) 1-202-225-2132 1-202-226-1463
McDade, Joseph M. (R-10 PA) 1-202-225-3731 1-202-225-9594
Bonilla, Henry (R-23 TX) 1-202-225-4511 1-202-225-2237
Nethercutt, George (R-05 WA) 1-202-225-2006 1-202-225-7181
Dicks, Norman D. (D-06 WA) 1-202-225-5916 1-202-226-1176
Senate Appropriations Committee, Defense Subcommittee
(chair, SAC Defense Subcommittee) voice fax
Sen. Stevens, Ted (R AK) 1-202-224-3004 1-202-224-1044
(Ranking Minority Member, SAC Defense Subcommittee)
Sen. Inouye, Daniel (D HI) 1-202-224-3934 1-202-224-6747
Sen. Cochran, Thad (R MS) 1-202-224-5054 1-202-224-3576
Sen. Domenici, Pete V. (R NM) 1-202-224-6621 1-202-224-7371
Sen. McConnell, Mitch (R KY) 1-202-224-2541 1-202-224-2499
Sen. Specter, Arlen (R PA) 1-202-224-4254 1-202-224-1893
Sen. Bond, Christopher (R MO) 1-202-224-5721 1-202-224-8149
Sen. Shelby, Richard C. (R AL) 1-202-224-5744 1-202-224-3416
Sen. Hollings, Ernest (D SC) 1-202-224-6121 1-202-224-4293
Sen. Byrd, Robert (D WV) 1-202-224-3954 1-202-224-4025
Sen. Leahy, Patrick (D VT) 1-202-224-4242 1-202-224-3595
Sen. Harkin, Thomas (D IA) 1-202-224-3254 1-202-224-7431
Sen. Lautenberg, Frank (D NJ) 1-202-224-4744 1-202-224-9707
Sen. Hutchison, Kay Bailey (R TX) 1-202-224-5922 1-202-224-0776
Sen. Gregg, Judd (R NH) 1-202-224-3324 1-202-224-4952
Sen. Bumpers, Dale (D AR) 1-202-224-4843 1-202-224-6435
Sen. Dorgan, Byron (D ND) 1-202-224-2551 1-202-224-1193
___________________________________________________________________
DEFENSE AUTHORIZATIONS COMMITTEE MEMBERS
House National Security Committee
(Committee chairman)
Spence, Floyd (R 2 SC) 1-202-225-2452 1-202-225-2455
Stump, Robert (R 3 AZ) 1-202-225-4576 1-202-225-6328
Hunter, Duncan L. (R 52 CA) 1-202-225-5672 1-202-225-0235
Kasich, John R. (R 12 OH) 1-202-225-5355 na
Bateman, Herbert H. (R 1 VA) 1-202-225-4261 1-202-225-4382
Hansen, James V. (R 1 UT) 1-202-225-0453 1-202-225-5857
Weldon, Curt (R 7 PA) 1-202-225-2011 1-202-225-8137
Hefley, Joel (R 5 CO) 1-202-225-4422 1-202-225-1942
Saxton, H. James (R 3 NJ) 1-202-225-4765 1-202-225-0778
Buyer, Steve (R 5 IN) 1-202-225-5037 1-202-225-2267
Fowler, Tillie (R 4 FL) 1-202-225-2501 1-202-225-9318
McHugh, John M. (R 24 NY) 1-202-225-4611 1-202-226-0621
Talent, James M. (R 2 MO) 1-202-225-2561 1-202-225-2563
Everett, Terry (R 2 AL) 1-202-225-2901 1-202-225-8913
Bartlett, Roscoe G. (R 6 MD) 1-202-225-2721 1-202-225-2193
Lewis, Ron (R 2 KY) 1-202-225-3501 1-202-226-2019
Watts, J.C. (R 4 OK) 1-202-225-6165 1-202-225-3512
Chambliss, Saxby (R 8 GA) 1-202-225-6531 1-202-225-3013
Riley, Bob (R 3 AL) 1-202-225-3261 1-202-225-5827
(Committee ranking minority member)
Dellums, Ronald V. (D 9 CA) 1-202-225-2661 1-202-225-9817
Skelton, Ike (D 4 MO) 1-202-225-2876 1-202-225-2695
Sisisky, Norman (D 4 VA) 1-202-225-6365 1-202-226-1170
Spratt Jr., John M. (D 5 SC) 1-202-225-5501 1-202-225-0464
Ortiz, Solomon P. (D 27 TX) 1-202-225-7742 1-202-226-1134
Pickett, Owen B. (D 2 VA) 1-202-225-4215 1-202-225-4218
Evans, Lane (D 17 IL) 1-202-225-5905 1-202-225-5396
Taylor, Gene (D 5 MS) 1-202-225-5772 1-202-225-7074
Abercrombie, Neil (D 1 HI) 1-202-225-2726 1-202-225-4580
Meehan, Martin T. (D 5 MA) 1-202-225-3411 1-202-226-0771
Harman, Jane (D 36 CA) 1-202-225-8220 1-202-226-0684
McHale, Paul (D 15 PA) 1-202-225-6411 1-202-225-5320
Kennedy, Patrick (D 1 RI) 1-202-225-4911 1-202-225-3290
Blagojevich, Rod (D 5 IL) 1-202-225-4061 1-202-225-5603
Snyder, Vic (D 2 AR) 1-202-225-2506 1-202-225-5903
Rodriguez, Ciro (D 28 TX) 1-202-225-1640 1-202-225-1641
Senate Armed Services Committee
Thurmond, Strom R SC 1-202-224-5972 1-202-224-1300
Warner, John W. R VA 1-202-224-2023 1-202-224-6079
McCain, John R AZ 1-202-224-2235 1-202-228-2862
Coats, Daniel R. R IN 1-202-224-5623 1-202-228-4137
Smith, Bob R NH 1-202-224-2841 1-202-224-1353
Kempthorne, Dirk R ID 1-202-224-6142 1-202-224-5893
Inhofe, James R OK 1-202-224-4721 1-202-228-0380
Santorum, Rick R PA 1-202-224-6324 1-202-228-0604
Snowe, Olympia R ME 1-202-224-5344 1-202-224-1946
Roberts, Pat R KS 1-202-224-4774 1-202-224-3514
Levin, Carl D MI 1-202-224-6221 1-202-224-1388
Kennedy, Edward M. D MA 1-202-224-4543 1-202-224-2417
Bingaman, Jeff D NM 1-202-224-5521 1-202-224-2852
Glenn, John D OH 1-202-224-3353 1-202-224-7983
Byrd, Robert C. D WV 1-202-224-3954 1-202-228-0002
Robb, Charles S. D VA 1-202-224-4024 1-202-224-8689
Lieberman, Joseph I. D CT 1-202-224-4041 1-202-224-9750
Cleland, Max D GA 1-202-224-3521 1-202-224-0072
for more info, have your 9-digit zip ready and check out
www.vote-smart.org
*end*