Development of manned spacecraft on an austere budget

Development of manned spacecraft on austere budgets
Posted on December 21, 2011 by Bob
COTS is another example of why space exploration needs to be turned over to DOD to get the job done correctly. Safe vehicle development will not work on a minimum budget. The task is too complex, crews will be lost and then what will NASA, ASAP say. By getting NASA out of the operation we will make progress and save money. Additionally, do the nation a favor–Return the Shuttle to flight while we get an orderly program and an operational replacement for the shuttle.

Crunch Time for COTS

 
Jeff Foust – The Space Review
 
The next several months represent a critical period of spaceflight. Two companies are planning a series of launches of new rockets carrying spacecraft bound for the International Space Station (ISS). Their goal: to demonstrate that private companies, supported by NASA’s Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) initiative, can handle the critical task of delivering supplies for the ISS. The stakes are high. If either or both companies succeed, they will demonstrate that private firms are up to the challenge of supporting the ISS, giving the station a new lifeline, all the more critical after the August failure of a Soyuz rocket carrying a Progress cargo spacecraft. If they fail, though, it will raise new doubts that commercial firms can handle the bigger task of crew transportation, while putting the long-term future of the station in jeopardy.
 
Ed. Note– ISS in jeopardy because of inept leadership in adm/NASA
And Congress.

Constellation cancelled. Shuttle cancelled. Obama has performed
excellently in destroying the USA space program. Ceding space to China.

As I have said before gov. Support is a necessity for a commercial
Effort. Project too big without significant gov. Involvement.
Many don’t want to hear this– it will be proven to be the case.
Also, development/operation of SAFE manned spacecraft “pushes the envelope” as in the case of the shuttle,Apollo, high performance aircraft. NASA, Congress, ASAP, all are quite aware of this.
Therefore, why do they embark on these programs and put the proven shuttle in a museum.