Space Exploration Act of 2003 - How can we help?

Mark Friedenbach · 2003-09-10 19:40:30

Rep. Lampson Re-Introduces Bill to Restore Vision for NASA's Human Spaceflight Program

It's back! Rep. Nick Lampson reintroduced his Space Exploration Act today (website). The last attempt got lost in a committee, and I am not going to let that happen again! I'm going to write a letter to Lampson and my own representative, but I'm not sure what else to do. Anyone have any ideas?

Spider-Man · 2003-09-10 21:23:19

I'm going to call his office personally. Thank you for finding this.

sethmckiness · 2003-09-10 21:43:22

Just sent a note to my representative. Hopefully this bill will get some good press!

Mark Friedenbach · 2003-09-11 01:57:28

Wonderful! If we get enough people to speak up, we can make a difference. Last time most of the space advocacy groups didn't do anything, so I'm going to get a list of contacts and start sending out letters. I'll post addresses if you want to help out.

Whoa, check out these quotes:

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Tex.) renewed his criticism that the shuttle is inherently unsafe, and proposed that NASA undertake a five-year, about $5 billion plan to develop and launch the orbital space plane and convert the existing shuttles to unmanned vehicles that would be used only to ship parts and materials to the space station. Barton said he will offer his proposal this fall as part of a supplemental spending bill and said the plan is attracting bipartisan support.

Administration officials disclosed recently that the White House has begun work on a blueprint for interplanetary human flight over the next 20 to 30 years, with plans to have Bush issue an ambitious new national vision by early next year.

(from an article in the Washington Post - kudos to Josh Cryer for the link)

PS: there's another thread on this topic in the Free Chat section.

Mark Friedenbach · 2003-09-11 02:15:20

The Mars Society
P.O. Box 273
Indian Hills, Colorado
80454, USA
Email: brianf5070@aol.com
(Brian Frankie - head of the Political and Public Outreach Task Force)

National Space Society
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E.
Suite 201
Washington, DC 20003
Phone: (202) 543-1900
Fax: (202) 546-4189
nsshq@nss.org

The Planetary Society
65 North Catalina Avenue
Pasadena, California 91106-2301
Phone: (626) 793-5100
Fax: (626) 793-5528
E-Mail: tps@planetary.org

Space Frontier Foundation
16 First Avenue
Nyack, NY 10960
Phone: (800) 787-7223

--

hrm. I just realized there's a political outreach forum on this board. Maybe this thread should have been there. Sorry for posting in the section

Spider-Man · 2003-09-11 11:23:38

I called his office, and left a message with his secretary to inform him of the Mars Society, The Case For Mars, and Dr. Zubrin himself. Hopefully I've helped to link hands...

"Dr. Robert Zubrin, meet Congressman Nick Lampson of Texas. Congressman Lampson, this is Dr. Zubrin. Now go to Mars."

Mark Friedenbach · 2003-09-27 18:50:43

Moved to the Political Outreach folder. Click here.

Ad Astra · 2003-09-28 10:28:34

There is no doubt that America needs a clear goal for space exploration. The question in my ind is whether the Lampson bill as written is the best way of achieving a goal. The bill's insistence on reusability would have easily killed any mission from cost and technical standpoints. I think that NASA should be re-focused on exploration of space beyond earth orbit, and the role of the space station should be modified to fit into this grand picture. Mars, moon, and asteroid exploration will be important parts of this plan, but they should not be linked to each other lest a problem with one program kill the others. NASA should also share the responsibilities of exploration with private industry and academia so the taxpayers won't have to foot the entire bill for this grand exploration projects.

Ad Astra · 2003-09-28 10:35:21

The bill insists on using the earth-moon libration points as a gateway to lunar orbit, and views lunar orbit as a gateway o the moon. I feel that the specifics of an earth-moon transportation system should be left to the project engineers, but overall I agree with the spirit of the bill.

RobS · 2003-09-28 21:35:43

The use of L1 comes from the NExt committe or commission within NASA, which about a year ago proposed a "Gateway" space station at the L1 point (between Earth and moon). If one wants to use lunar water extensively in space exploration, Gateway is a strategic location. You can move cargo to it with solar or nuclear electric propulsion, slowly over a six to twelve month period, then send the people up quickly. You send lunar oxygen and hydrogen up from the lunar south pole using a reusable shuttle, refuel your Mars vehicle there, send it back to Earth using a small delta-vee (possibly using a lunar gravity assist to get to Earth more easily), then during the close flyby you fire your chemical engines for trans-Mars injection. A system like this I used in "Mars 24" and it came from Michael Duke's "Lunar Reference Mission" you can read at the new "Romance to Reality" website. With a system like this, using solar ion propulsion and lunar-derived chemical propulsion, roughly 2/3 of your launch mass to low earth orbit can be shipped to Mars! That's a better ratio than solid core nuclear thermal propulsion.

The main thing I would worry about is the bill's emphasis on reusability. I like reusability; everyone does; but I'm not sure we have the technology to do it cheaply and reliably yet. Perhaps reusability beyond low earth orbit is easier to achieve, though, because the delta-vees are smaller, accelerations more gentle, and aerobraking (with capsules) reliable. Aerobraking into Mars orbit requires lower delta-vees than landing on Earth and lunar vehicles will do no aerobraking at all.

-- RobS

Ad Astra · 2003-09-29 09:02:01

I totally agree that it's easier to re-use vehicles that operate only in the space environment. Vehicles that must return to earth must have heavier structures and heat shields to survive re-entry. The problem with re-using lunar shuttles and other vehicles of that nature is building the infrastructure to refuel, inspect, and repair them.

alokmohan · 2003-10-14 05:21:00

DOES IT CONTAIN ACTIVITIES WITHIN LUNAR ORBIT AND EXCLUDE MARS?

Mark Friedenbach · 2003-10-14 13:07:00

No, it doesn't. It includes the moon, mars, and asteroids.

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#1 2003-09-10 19:40:30

Re: Space Exploration Act of 2003 - How can we help?

#2 2003-09-10 21:23:19

Re: Space Exploration Act of 2003 - How can we help?

#3 2003-09-10 21:43:22

Re: Space Exploration Act of 2003 - How can we help?

#4 2003-09-11 01:57:28

Re: Space Exploration Act of 2003 - How can we help?

#5 2003-09-11 02:15:20

Re: Space Exploration Act of 2003 - How can we help?

#6 2003-09-11 11:23:38

Re: Space Exploration Act of 2003 - How can we help?

#7 2003-09-27 18:50:43

Re: Space Exploration Act of 2003 - How can we help?

#8 2003-09-28 10:28:34

Re: Space Exploration Act of 2003 - How can we help?

#9 2003-09-28 10:35:21

Re: Space Exploration Act of 2003 - How can we help?

#10 2003-09-28 21:35:43

Re: Space Exploration Act of 2003 - How can we help?

#11 2003-09-29 09:02:01

Re: Space Exploration Act of 2003 - How can we help?

#12 2003-10-14 05:21:00

Re: Space Exploration Act of 2003 - How can we help?

#13 2003-10-14 13:07:00

Re: Space Exploration Act of 2003 - How can we help?

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