Commercialization of Shuttle----credit Shuttlecomm
The following contains several reasons why the Space Shuttle must be privatized instead of given to museums.
Point #1: EVEN WITHOUT A SHUTTLE PROGRAM, NASA WILL STILL HAVE TO PAY TO MAINTAIN THE SHUTTLE FACILITIES
According to the Augustine Report, NASA will still have to pay at least $400M per year if no domestic rockets are launched using Shuttle facilities (i.e., Russia or SpaceX). Plus any Shuttle derived launch vehicles, such as Ares I and V, will have to pay up to $1.5B per year to maintain the Shuttle facilities. Whereas ShuttleCom will cost share the burden of maintaining the facilities, NASA will have the full burden of $1.5B/year if it flies the Ares launch vehicles, which are not intended for commercial operation.
Point #2: THE SHUTTLE WAS NEVER GIVEN A CHANCE:
Although the first flight of the B-52 was nearly 60 years ago, it continues to fly as a result of upgrades. NASA has spent many $B on studies to upgrade the Shuttle to improve upon the time and cost to process at the Kennedy Space Center, however almost all of the upgrades were NEVER implemented. In essence, the Shuttle is still a 70's launch vehicle.
As a result: In its best year (1985), there were only nine Shuttle flights, with Discovery flying four times that year.
Point #3: THE ORBITERS HAVE PLENTY OF LIFE LET IN THEM
Although the orbiters are designed for 100 flights each with a safety factor of 4; Discovery has only 38, Atlantis has 32, and Endeavor has just 24 flights. Procedures have been implemented to replace seals and other time dependent parts and the effect of time has little bearing on their flight readiness. The orbiters could be flown for several more decades even under the most aggressive launch schedule, if allowed to be re-certified after 100 flights.
Point #4: SHUTTLECOM WILL AGREE TO A GUARANTEED COST REDUCTION PER FLIGHT EACH YEAR
NASA can easily realize a cost reduction of access to space because as part of ShuttleCom’s Agreement, ShuttleCom will guarantee a specific annual reduction (between 10% and 20%) on the basic fee charged to the government for each dedicated Shuttle flight.
Point #5: THE AEROSPACE COMMUNITY WILL BE ACTIVE IN NASA- SPONSORED SHUTTLE UPGRADES
As part of NASA’s Agreement with ShuttleCom, NASA will develop upgrades to the Shuttle as well as a Space Tug. In order for ShuttleCom to meet the guaranteed cost reduction targets, NASA must develop certain Shuttle upgrades and hardware that will improve upon Shuttle operability.
Point #6: THE PRIVATIZED SHUTTLE REPRESENTS THE ONLY MEANS OF FOSTERING REAL SPACE TOURISM FOR THE NEAR FUTURE.
As ShuttleCom increases the flight rate, the price of each mission will reduce. Only the Space Shuttle has the means to transport and retrieve up to five manned capsules (i.e., FIVE SpaceX Dragons) at a time in its payload bay plus 5 passengers in the crew compartment. It is very possible to conceive that each space tourist would pay between $2.5M and $5M for an orbital flight; most likely to an orbital hotel.
Point #7: THE SHUTTLE REPRESENTS THE BEST MEANS OF ENABLING A LUNAR MISSION
A Shuttle-C vehicle can transport up to 72 metric tons into orbit at a time. The Shuttle-C has not been pursued in the past due to the high cost of the Propulsion and Avionics equipment Module (PAM) that is expended after each flight. A privatized Space Shuttle, that has been modified as ShuttleCom as requested, will be able to retrieve the PAM and save $175M to the cost of operating the Shuttle-C.
Point #8: THE SHUTTLE IS A NATIONAL TREASURE
NASA has spent over $200B on the Space Shuttle Program since the 70’s and it is a point of pride worldwide to America’s space program, which should not be abandoned. The newest orbiter, Endeavor, cost $3.2B when it replaced Challenger in 1987. The $200B investment by NASA in the Shuttle program represents more than 10 years of the entire FY 2011 National Aeronautics and Space Administration budget.
Point #9: ABANDONING AMERICA’S ONLY MEANS OF MANNED FLIGHT BEFORE A DOMESTIC ALTERNATIVE IS AVAILABLE IS A NATIONAL SECURITY RISK
After the Shuttle retires, NASA will have no manned-rated vehicles for the near future. NASA has been directed by the current administration to only STUDY a new launch vehicle until 2015. NASA has contracted Russia to fly astronauts to the Space Station until 2014 for $55.8M each. After which time, Russia can charge whatever they want
NASA’s plan to retire the Space Shuttle without an alternative manned-rated launch vehicle is a grievous misappropriation of Tax Payer money as well as a National Security Risk.
OTHER:
Within the next 12 months, NASA plans to retire the Space Shuttle and spend $28M to clean up the Orbiters just so they can be given to museums.
At one point 92% of the Shuttle work force was already in the private sector. There are approximately 20,000 private sector persons engaged in the Shuttle support across the country and 8,000 directly employed by Shuttle prime contractors that will lose their employment with the termination of the Shuttle program.
Posted by keeptheshuttleflying.com at 4:55 PM
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