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starship-design: Fwd: Hope for NASA dims. more busness as usual?
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=902
Bush to Charge NASA with Implementing Broad Space Vision to Dominate
Cislunar
Space
Frank Sietzen, Jr.
Sunday, November 30, 2003
WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush will propose a sweeping new vision of
U.S.
space leadership that will call for use of the Moon for technology
development
and partnerships between NASA and the Defense Department to make maximum use
of
existing or planned U.S. space systems, this column has learned from
informed
sources.
NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe will be tasked with leading the effort,
aimed at
presenting Vice President Dick Cheney and the president with a roadmap to
what
some are calling "renewed U.S. space dominance" during 2004.
Following a year-long review of U.S. space objectives, programs, and assets,
the
Bush administration was presented with a broad set of options during the
summer's
deliberations, a source indicated.
O'Keefe "worked to build a consensus" for renewed U.S. manned spaceflight
beyond
shuttle and station. The return to the Moon by U.S. astronauts possibly by
the
end of the next decade became "by default" the least expensive and risky of
the
paths proposed for the U.S. space program.
Bush will call for renewed U.S. activities leading to leadership of space
exploration "in the Earth-Moon system" that could include manned lunar
landings,
the employment of a series of commercially-available launch vehicles and
upper
stages, new robotic lunar probes that will include orbiting communications
and
navigation relay satellites, and the development of a "flexible" manned
spacecraft that is likely to be a form of the proposed Orbital Space Plane,
but
no new advanced launchers, large Apollo-style space vehicles or reusable
replacements for the shuttles. Creation of a manned lunar base would evolve
from
more limited landings, if at all.
Development of new, advanced space technologies that would reinvigorate the
space
program and industry has been more of a focus of the effort than the use of
the
Moon itself, the source said. Military use of space and military test beds
were
also key elements in gaining acceptance of the renewed space plan. Testing
of the
Prometheus atomic rocket would also be a part of the plan.
The existing space shuttle fleet will play a crucial role in the plan by use
of
its heavy lifting capabilities in an unmanned form. Use of the existing U.S.
expendable Delta and Atlas fleet as well as the remaining three shuttles was
mandated early on, the source indicated. Part of this exercise has also been
a
parallel effort to arrive at a retirement date for the shuttle. That had yet
to
be agreed upon, this column has been told.
NASA's budget will annually rise "no more" than seven percent, beginning in
2006,
according to the source. This excludes the cost of the OSP and the shuttle's
return to flight. Less than $250 million in new funding will be allocated in
FY2005 for the space dominance implementation plan.
A series of options studied this summer that could free up agency funding
for the
manned initiative included NASA ending whole areas of existing unrelated
work and
transferring the programs to other federal agencies. The study included
ending
NASA-funded aeronautics research, and earth science programs. But it was not
clear if these transfers would be attempted as part of a reorganization of
the
space agency that was set in motion by the Columbia accident as well as the
Bush
space vision exercise, or delayed until after the 2004 Presidential
Election. The
idea was considered so controversial that many thought it would never go
beyond
the study phase.
O'Keefe's view of the idea was also not clear. But other elements of the
reorganization are going ahead, including creation of a new "Code X" at NASA
headquarters to administer the exploration package, and a streamlining of
operational codes and responsibilities. Space Architect Gary Martin would be
a
part of but would not lead the new exploration office, whose head is
expected to
be a former admiral.
As this column goes to press, the source, not affiliated with the current
U.S.
space industry or agencies, indicated that eventual success in reaching a
broad
enough goal to gain political support within the administration was mostly
the
work of O'Keefe, and a small group of other Bush administration appointees
and
advisors. "Some were dubious that he (O'Keefe) could be a statesman, but
look
what has happened," the source said.
"For someone without a space background, he did good, keeping people's feet
to
the fire. He clearly wants (the new vision) this to happen." "But they are
still
tinkering with what's in there, and nobody knows at all." There was-and
still
is-significant opposition to the effort, the source said.
In the end, however, O'Keefe allegedly spent as much time gathering support
within NASA itself as he did within the U.S. military, which continues to be
skeptical about a new NASA-led manned program. "In a way he had to drag his
own
agency along to put up, or shut it. It was a close run thing, and still
isn't a
done deal" this column was told.
Once the Bush White House chooses a venue for the announcement, attention
will
shift to NASA for the crafting of the implementation plan and the
chronology.
Some of this has already been assembled, allegedly and quietly, by O'Keefe
working with a handful of NASA planners. Other elements will depend on how
much
of the final proposed vision actually gets into form by the White House.
Support for any NASA-run manned space program was not uniform within the
administration, the source complained. "But in the end he got most of them
on
board, and that's what counts." But when asked if the new space vision
announcement is a certainty, the source joked. "In this White House, the
only
thing certain is they hate leaks."
--- Begin Message ---
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewnews.html?id=902
Bush to Charge NASA with Implementing Broad Space Vision to Dominate Cislunar
Space
Frank Sietzen, Jr.
Sunday, November 30, 2003
WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush will propose a sweeping new vision of U.S.
space leadership that will call for use of the Moon for technology development
and partnerships between NASA and the Defense Department to make maximum use of
existing or planned U.S. space systems, this column has learned from informed
sources.
NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe will be tasked with leading the effort, aimed at
presenting Vice President Dick Cheney and the president with a roadmap to what
some are calling "renewed U.S. space dominance" during 2004.
Following a year-long review of U.S. space objectives, programs, and assets, the
Bush administration was presented with a broad set of options during the summer's
deliberations, a source indicated.
O'Keefe "worked to build a consensus" for renewed U.S. manned spaceflight beyond
shuttle and station. The return to the Moon by U.S. astronauts possibly by the
end of the next decade became "by default" the least expensive and risky of the
paths proposed for the U.S. space program.
Bush will call for renewed U.S. activities leading to leadership of space
exploration "in the Earth-Moon system" that could include manned lunar landings,
the employment of a series of commercially-available launch vehicles and upper
stages, new robotic lunar probes that will include orbiting communications and
navigation relay satellites, and the development of a "flexible" manned
spacecraft that is likely to be a form of the proposed Orbital Space Plane, but
no new advanced launchers, large Apollo-style space vehicles or reusable
replacements for the shuttles. Creation of a manned lunar base would evolve from
more limited landings, if at all.
Development of new, advanced space technologies that would reinvigorate the space
program and industry has been more of a focus of the effort than the use of the
Moon itself, the source said. Military use of space and military test beds were
also key elements in gaining acceptance of the renewed space plan. Testing of the
Prometheus atomic rocket would also be a part of the plan.
The existing space shuttle fleet will play a crucial role in the plan by use of
its heavy lifting capabilities in an unmanned form. Use of the existing U.S.
expendable Delta and Atlas fleet as well as the remaining three shuttles was
mandated early on, the source indicated. Part of this exercise has also been a
parallel effort to arrive at a retirement date for the shuttle. That had yet to
be agreed upon, this column has been told.
NASA's budget will annually rise "no more" than seven percent, beginning in 2006,
according to the source. This excludes the cost of the OSP and the shuttle's
return to flight. Less than $250 million in new funding will be allocated in
FY2005 for the space dominance implementation plan.
A series of options studied this summer that could free up agency funding for the
manned initiative included NASA ending whole areas of existing unrelated work and
transferring the programs to other federal agencies. The study included ending
NASA-funded aeronautics research, and earth science programs. But it was not
clear if these transfers would be attempted as part of a reorganization of the
space agency that was set in motion by the Columbia accident as well as the Bush
space vision exercise, or delayed until after the 2004 Presidential Election. The
idea was considered so controversial that many thought it would never go beyond
the study phase.
O'Keefe's view of the idea was also not clear. But other elements of the
reorganization are going ahead, including creation of a new "Code X" at NASA
headquarters to administer the exploration package, and a streamlining of
operational codes and responsibilities. Space Architect Gary Martin would be a
part of but would not lead the new exploration office, whose head is expected to
be a former admiral.
As this column goes to press, the source, not affiliated with the current U.S.
space industry or agencies, indicated that eventual success in reaching a broad
enough goal to gain political support within the administration was mostly the
work of O'Keefe, and a small group of other Bush administration appointees and
advisors. "Some were dubious that he (O'Keefe) could be a statesman, but look
what has happened," the source said.
"For someone without a space background, he did good, keeping people's feet to
the fire. He clearly wants (the new vision) this to happen." "But they are still
tinkering with what's in there, and nobody knows at all." There was-and still
is-significant opposition to the effort, the source said.
In the end, however, O'Keefe allegedly spent as much time gathering support
within NASA itself as he did within the U.S. military, which continues to be
skeptical about a new NASA-led manned program. "In a way he had to drag his own
agency along to put up, or shut it. It was a close run thing, and still isn't a
done deal" this column was told.
Once the Bush White House chooses a venue for the announcement, attention will
shift to NASA for the crafting of the implementation plan and the chronology.
Some of this has already been assembled, allegedly and quietly, by O'Keefe
working with a handful of NASA planners. Other elements will depend on how much
of the final proposed vision actually gets into form by the White House.
Support for any NASA-run manned space program was not uniform within the
administration, the source complained. "But in the end he got most of them on
board, and that's what counts." But when asked if the new space vision
announcement is a certainty, the source joked. "In this White House, the only
thing certain is they hate leaks."
--- End Message ---