Right now there are only a handful of companies that are providing the Aerospace Engineering and hardware capable of any launches.  On the Cape Side, Lockheed Martin and Boeing Corp combined forces to create United Launch Alliance (ULA).  This company launches payloads off of Pads 41 and 37, Atlas V and Delta IV respectively. If any company is poised to pickup the pieces of NASA’s decision to scrap constellation, ULA certainly is.

On Pad 40, there is the Falcon, by SpaceX Corp., while they have an ambitious launch plan, they don’t have any track record of successful launches.

There is the philosophy that we could reuse everything but the shuttle.  Make more tanks and reuse boosters, hence the DIRECT project and Jupiter. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_(rocket_family)

The NASA places forward request for proposal to companies to create the next great thing, but no company is incentivized to expend great money without any possible return on investment.

The fact is that not a single one of these programs is Man Rated, and to add that would create additional expense to any of these rocket programs.  Only NASA has a Man Rated requirement for their payloads, unless we deregulate space.

Right now we must rely on a single rocket program in Russia to service the International Space Station.

The United States has put the most amount of money into the ISS and space exploration.  The director today stated that he is looking to Internationalize the space program.  America needs to be the lead in space.  If we are putting our cash there, then we shouldn’t have to compromise on the direction of the research.

As the director said, only Russian and China will have Human Space Flight programs for an unknown time after Shuttle retires.  It’s unbelievable.  What’s worse is that we have no idea when we will bring one back online.

What is really at risk is Jobs, Science, Leadership and Pride.  When J.F. Kennedy boldly asked us to go to the Moon, we did it as a nation.  It put industry at work providing the tooling and know-how.  40 Years after we put a man on the moon, we have squandered all of it, and no one has a good reason as to why.
———
SailorJ is a pseudonym for a former technician on one of the Unmanned Rocket programs at Cape Canaveral, FL.

Like what I write?  Follow Me on Twitter: @SailorJ and tell me what you think!

NASA screwed up! In a day and age where budgets sway on public opinion, the Colbert Army is a good one to have on your side. These aren’t just your morning drive guys, these are polically motivated 20+ year olds. These are people who actually can make an impact and influence policy.

Now while it looks as if there was no animosity between the two camps, it still proves that Colbert is a force to be reckoned with.

Remember what happened when Colbert wanted to make a point about wikipedia? Where he got people to change information on Elephants. It was big news. In any event, I fail to see a reason why it would not be called the Colbert module. In 10 years from now, are they afraid they would be saying, who is Stephen colbert? Well if he puts the energy and resources onto being their cheerleader then that would not likely happen.

If I had a window in my office, I would look out to see the Shuttle Pads, as well as many other rocket pads. Today however, I saw the launch of Space Shuttle Discovery from the safety and convience of my backyard. What a great deal to see the cutting edge of space from your backyard. Cooking up a burger or whatever, and thinking that 35 years ago, people stood in their backyards watching Apollo missions similarly to how we watch the shuttle. Of course I had the TV on, so I could find out all the information about what was happening, just in case there was a scrub or hold.

In the launch business, they say, you’re only as good as your last launch. Well so far so good. Here’s some pictures from my backyard.