Private-Enterprise Astronauts
EmailMike Massimino, an astronaut I've known for several years, was in New York yesterday — and had more questions for me about NASA's future than I did for him.
"I'm trying to ignore all that," he said. "But it's hard…. I can't imagine they would close down the whole thing."
The "whole thing," in this case, would be NASA's plans, in the works for the last six years, to build the new Orion spacecraft and its Ares boosters to replace the space shuttles, and use them to return to the moon and eventually mount a Mars mission. The space station would be ditched in the Pacific in 2015.
But that was the "Vision for Space Exploration" ordered up by President Bush. The Obama administration ordered a full review by a panel headed by former aerospace executive Norman Augustine; the answer came back that the plan was unworkable unless the U.S. wanted to spend $3 billion more a year. (See our story from last October HERE.)
With the new NASA budget due on Monday, several sources tell ABC News Orion, Ares and any moon plans are dead for now. They would be replaced, at least in part, by private industry, which would get $6 billion in help over the next five years. The sources, in Washington and private industry, asked not to be identified because they did not want to antagonize the White House, or jump the gun on the president.
The AP’s Seth Borenstein has much the same information we do; see his piece HERE.
The Huntsville Times — hometown paper to NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama — quotes an unnamed administration official as saying the White House wants to jump-start "commercial rockets — what have been called 'space taxis' — the main mode of transporting astronauts to and from the station."
Some industry people have already taken to using the phrase "commercial crews." If they actually start to do jobs restricted, until now, to NASA astronauts, it will be a paradigm shift. Space fliers have historically been launched by governments (the U.S., Russia, China); many a startup company has gone under, waiting for the frontier to open.
Keep in mind that the administration itself isn’t talking on the record yet, but Congress and the aerospace industry are already talking back.
Here’s a statement from Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., a longtime backer of NASA:
“Based on initial reports about the administration’s plan for NASA, they are replacing lost shuttle jobs in Florida too slowly, risking U.S. leadership in space to China and Russia, and relying too heavily on unproven commercial companies.
“If the $6 billion in extra funding is for a commercial rocket, then the bigger rocket for human exploration will be delayed well into the next decade,” Nelson said. “That is unacceptable.
“We need a plan that provides America with uninterrupted access to space while also funding exploration to expand the boundaries of our knowledge.” (Top: NASA artist's conception: a Dragon spacecraft, designed by Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX). SpaceX, founded by PayPal founder Elon Musk, already has a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to fly Dragon to the space station as a cargo ship after the space shuttles are retired. The company says it could upgrade Dragon to carry astronauts in three years after it gets a government go-ahead.)
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The ultimate couch potatoes. Hope the Chinese or Russians or Indians or japanese broadcast in HDTV and 3D. Don’t forget blue ray.
Posted by: modeldon | January 29, 2010, 12:38 pm 12:38 pm
Is there nothing that Obama won’t spend for?
It’s kinda like telling your wife…”just buy whatever you want, we will worry about paying for it sometime in the future.”
Posted by: Rick McDaniel | January 29, 2010, 1:30 pm 1:30 pm
Ditching the space station is an extreamly stupid thing to do no matter if we go back to the moon or not. I am all for encouraging private industry to get involved but not at the expense of exploration.
Posted by: Eckhardt | January 29, 2010, 1:33 pm 1:33 pm
This latest stunt from Obama is more proof he’s an idiot.
Posted by: Edgar Friendly | January 29, 2010, 2:03 pm 2:03 pm
Obama is the savior and the light of the world. All must praise his wise and ordained leadership. Or something like that at least. Dumb move from a dumb president.
Posted by: E J | January 29, 2010, 2:05 pm 2:05 pm
I am a big believer in JPL’s mission as opposed to JSC’s mission. Robotics is the way to go. Humans are just to expensive to cart around up there.
Posted by: Huh | January 29, 2010, 6:31 pm 6:31 pm
ok I see that obama dont get it why let nasa go we will not have the good people that we have now in 15to 20 years the banks keep there folks why can the gov fund nasa you did the banks now look at them rich sob but not nasa
Posted by: jammes | January 29, 2010, 6:57 pm 6:57 pm
Government unchecked spending on the space program has produced a shuttle that has proven to be the worst investment they have made. The Orion project has been behind schedule and over budget since it’s conception.
Now I’m not a die hard Obama fan, and yes, the national debt is increasing with his programs that he’s try to correct the mess that has been created over the last 50+yrs. But he’s trying to do something that should have been done years ago. Opening the space industry to private companies that operate under a “make it or break it” approach instead of the “Master key to Ft. Knox” approach. I’ve seen first hand the differences between the two and the private project will come in ahead of schedule and under budget 99.9% of the time over the government one.
I agree with Obama on this one. Put they money where it’s going to do the most good. With companies that will have to hire and create jobs to build the PVT Space Industry. That will in turn spur manufacturing for an increased demand of space equipment because there will be more competition for them instead of just NASA as the end user.
Let the 2010 Space Industrial Revolution begin!
Posted by: highrise1 | January 29, 2010, 7:26 pm 7:26 pm
NASA employs the best and brightest while the private industry employs those who are willing to work for the least amount of money. With a crew of five or six men and women, also the best and brightest, are we really willing to accept second-best?
By beginning the privatization of space exploration, thereby removing NASA as a government agency, we are dooming the space industry. Keep the rocket building in the hands of companies who are better equipped to do it, i.e. the current government contractors, and keep private industry out of it.
Yet another big mistake at the hands of a POTUS who has no clue. Did I see Jimmy Carter in the background of some of these Obama photos?
Posted by: Nancy Dickinson | January 29, 2010, 10:02 pm 10:02 pm
highrise1 wrote: “I’ve seen first hand the differences between the two and the private project will come in ahead of schedule and under budget 99.9% of the time over the government one.”
Where did you see that? Mention a single major avionics project (airplanes, air communications, radar ranging, etc.) that private industry has undertaken where they have come within 50% of the budget.
Posted by: The_Mick | January 30, 2010, 6:12 am 6:12 am
To answer The_Mick: #1Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipOne, #2 SpaceX’s Falcon1 rocket that achieved orbit. As well as their Falcon9 booster that is scheduled for launches this year, with most of the rocket already being reassembled in FL now. Both of which utilize a new re-design
of the booster which gives it more thrust as well as using less fuel making it more cost effective than anything NASA currently operates.
Posted by: highrise1 | January 30, 2010, 12:58 pm 12:58 pm
One thing is for sure. The US is the #1 leader in manned and robotic space flight. I just do not understand why we want to throw that leadership position away. What is a private company going to do? Sell it to China to boost profits? Meanwhile, there goes the shovel ready jobs … literally. At least there is something in return more than a bailout.
Posted by: jablabla | January 30, 2010, 7:01 pm 7:01 pm
With the space junk problem, space will never be a private endeavor. I’d see it getting much worse than it is now.
Posted by: jablabla | January 30, 2010, 7:03 pm 7:03 pm
We need to be leaders in space, even if that doesn’t mean going back to the moon anytime soon. Space used to pump up technology but now technology and space pump each other up. Other countries are gearing up for work in space. Seems like we are gearing down. We will lose any technological edge we have if we don’t keep the space program going.
Posted by: Robert Smith | January 30, 2010, 11:48 pm 11:48 pm
So suddenly the president who believes in big government and central control/ planning for everything else (Banking, Health Care, Mortgage, Education) now is in favor of private enterprise for the space program? Kind of big switch, isn’t it? ask yourself why.
Posted by: Hal | January 31, 2010, 12:50 pm 12:50 pm
I fully support the President in his
attempt to get Health Care, Financial
reforms, Two wars managed etc…
But this is hard to accept..
The space program has offer this country
the biggest boost in pride and national
achievement we have ever seen, not to
mention the technological advances it
brings…we need a robust manned and
unmanned space fleet going to all corners of our solar system and hopefully….beyond.
Posted by: blackie | February 1, 2010, 2:19 pm 2:19 pm
Already, President Obama’s call to privatize NASA research and development saves taxpayers millions.
Posted by: Stephen Wilson | February 1, 2010, 10:06 pm 10:06 pm
Stephen Wilson wrote: “call to privatize NASA research and development saves taxpayers millions.”
If you take note I purposefully left off “President Obama’s” from Stephen’s comment, because it seams that everyone wants to jump on the “what Obama’s doing wrong now” band wagon, instead of looking at how much this swing to private industry will not kill America’s leadership in space exploration but instead cement America’s seat at the top.
I agree with Stephen and in with Blackie: “The space program has offer this country
the biggest boost in pride and national
achievement we have ever seen, not to
mention the technological advances it
brings…we need a robust manned and
unmanned space fleet going to all corners of our solar system and hopefully….beyond.”
America has achieved it’s leadership in the world through it’s citizens and private industry. While I’ll admit that there will be a transitional stage between full NASA control and PVT Space operations, the development and advancements are a lot easier to achieve when space exploration is not hindered by whatever direction the political wind blows.
Posted by: highrise1 | February 2, 2010, 3:12 pm 3:12 pm
To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders.
- Lao Tzu -
Posted by: Bibi FA | March 5, 2010, 10:07 am 10:07 am
This si the same as the way we gave away the hitech industry. There are other countries that can and will do everything cheaper. Americans are now only consumers in the world.
If we are not carefull we will become the third world country.
So long America it was nice knowing you.
Posted by: thematrixhasyou | May 14, 2010, 2:19 pm 2:19 pm