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NASA guy cheerfully admits that a NASA committee (presumably one of thousands) spent three years scratching their heads about going to Mars, trying to come up with reasons to go!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzhSmnGcSkE
About 3:30.
Unbelievable! But a very good illustration of how NASA has degenerated from its heroic days in the Apollo period and why Space X will beat them to Mars.
Let's Go to Mars...Google on: Fast Track to Mars blogspot.com
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The NASA timeline is now sometime between 2033 and 2039. NASA will be greeted by Elon Musk in his latest Tesla ATV rover.
NASA has seriously dropped the ball, but they continue drawing salaries.
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I think it's important to make the distinction that NASA doesn't decide what it does, Congress does. So NASA didn't drop the ball, they were never allowed to pick it up.
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Not quite accurate; Congress is in the position of determining funding for projects and building in pork for their constituencies. Someone with aerospace credentials comes up with "suggestions" and presents them for authorization. Usually the Executive Branch sends request for proposals or has a specific goal in mind for projects. The Executive branch gave birth to NASA with a clear goal of putting man on the moon in a decade--with congressional approval of funding, the engineers did the rest. Without better executive direction, the inmates are running the asylum.
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The congress and senate pass the funding, the pork projects in law with the President dictating what he would like done by the agency through its administator... Stand ins count these days....
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I think if NASA had set out a credible Space X style plan, Congress would have approved it. The problem is that NASA is besieged by interests and also has its own interests (largely science-based).
I argued before that NASA should have been split into two agencies with roughly equal funding - a science based agency (much like NASA now) and Mars and Moon Exploration and Colonisation Agency, dedicated to establishing people permanently on the Moon and Mars. That is now pretty irrelevant as Space X are doing the job.
I think it's important to make the distinction that NASA doesn't decide what it does, Congress does. So NASA didn't drop the ball, they were never allowed to pick it up.
Let's Go to Mars...Google on: Fast Track to Mars blogspot.com
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCMFOlw7ne4
Interesting video addressing several key issues about the BFR and funding of its development. It estimates the cost of BFR development to launch at $4 to 5 billion. But that sounds like "from scratch". I am presuming a lot of the systems used can be adapted from the existing Falcon series and also much of the rocket and propellant tank design and research has already been done. Starting from here, the figure is probably a lot lower.
Let's Go to Mars...Google on: Fast Track to Mars blogspot.com
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And another interesting video to follow the one above:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNYHoIm0Ols
Ryan MacDonald's videos are always clear and interesting.
I hadn't seen the pics of the Space X spacesuits before.
Let's Go to Mars...Google on: Fast Track to Mars blogspot.com
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Until Bridenstine gets confirmed, the NASA asylum is STILL being run by the inmates. Meanwhile, SpaceX keeps on chugging ahead with their string of successes. Too bad SpaceX doesn't have more federal money--enough to pursue parallel tracks for Falcon Heavy development and deep space missions using it--in addition to the ongoing BFR project! If SpaceX had even a portion of that being provided to ULA, we'd be far better off in just 2 years. I am personally disappointed in the cancellation of Red Dragon missions; lots of invaluable information could have been obtained by them: viability of Mars surface propulsive landings; large scale moxie operation; pilot project for Sabatier reactor operation using carried H2; and many more important experiments.
At the price NASA seems to be content paying, a contract for $500 Million to cover 2 Red Dragon missions would probably get the job done by SpaceX.
Last edited by Oldfart1939 (2018-03-28 22:47:56)
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