New Mars Forums

Euler

Member

From: Corvallis, OR

Registered: 2003-02-06

Posts: 922

Re: A new bet? - When will shuttle fly?

Is it possible to finish all that in less than 5 years to meet the 2010 retirement date?

All of the modules that I listed are scheduled to launch by 2008 or 2009.  There are a few modules that are in limbo now that might not be able to launch by 2010, though they would likely be cancelled anyway.  So it can be done as long as there are not any more surprises.

rstones8

Banned

From: Orlando, FL

Registered: 2004-03-21

Posts: 37

Re: A new bet? - When will shuttle fly?

Well I hope you are right. It's just that the way this return to flight date seems to keep slipping, and with a retirement date drawing closer, it is not too far fetched that the shuttle may not fly again, in which case we would have to either change objectives or find another way to complete them.

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"here are we, on this starry night staring into space, and I must say, I feel as small as dust, lying down here"-dmb

bolbuyk

Member

From: Utrecht, Netherlands

Registered: 2004-04-07

Posts: 178

Re: A new bet? - When will shuttle fly?

I'm afraid from this time, the shuttle will fly as often as Buran  :laugh:

Bill White

Member

Registered: 2001-09-09

Posts: 2,114

Re: A new bet? - When will shuttle fly?

Sean O'Keefe says - - No NASA budget increase? Well then, shuttle may never fly again.  http://www.floridatoday.com/news/space/ … A.htm]Link.

rstones8

Banned

From: Orlando, FL

Registered: 2004-03-21

Posts: 37

Re: A new bet? - When will shuttle fly?

Regarding that article, it doesn't sound good for the shuttle fleet... but at least there is a glimmer of hope for Hubble.

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"here are we, on this starry night staring into space, and I must say, I feel as small as dust, lying down here"-dmb

bolbuyk

Member

From: Utrecht, Netherlands

Registered: 2004-04-07

Posts: 178

Re: A new bet? - When will shuttle fly?

I've read somewhere RSA and ESA considered to construct a Soyuz-rocket launch-pad on Kourou (for unmanned flights, of course). When this launch-pad could be made man-rated, a Hubble-repair mission could be launched by a Soyuz! One Russian and two Americans, compensation for the lost place to ISS when Russia get it's point with that. Big deal?

BWhite

Member

From: Chicago, Illinois

Registered: 2004-06-16

Posts: 2,635

Re: A new bet? - When will shuttle fly?

ISS http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/09/natio … .html]safe haven is not so safe.

If orbiter return to flight depends on using the ISS as a safe haven and if using the ISS as a safe haven may well doom the ISS (if 6 or 8 astronauts suffocate on ISS, its doomed) then isn't using ISS as a shuttle safe haven itself fundamentally irresponsible?

If I were an ISS partner, shuttle return to flight becomes much less important if a rushed return to flight threatens the loss of ISS.

= = =

New York Times link - registration required.

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Give someone a sufficient [b][i]why[/i][/b] and they can endure just about any [b][i]how[/i][/b]

BWhite

Member

From: Chicago, Illinois

Registered: 2004-06-16

Posts: 2,635

Re: A new bet? - When will shuttle fly?

Costs for return orbiter to flight http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mp … 86055]have soared says this report.

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Give someone a sufficient [b][i]why[/i][/b] and they can endure just about any [b][i]how[/i][/b]

Josh Cryer

Moderator

Registered: 2001-09-29

Posts: 3,830

Re: A new bet? - When will shuttle fly?

::sigh:: How much would SDV cost? Any estimates Bill? Surely less than $1.2 billion (or even if it wasn't; consider that we're spending $1.2 billion to get the shuttle to fly again, for less than a several dozen flights only to decomission it afterward).

Man, sometimes I have to balk at how the government spends the money. Perhaps an SDV should be handled by the private industry.

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Some useful links while MER are active. [url=http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html]Offical site[/url] [url=http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/MM_NTV_Web.html]NASA TV[/url] [url=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/mer2004/]JPL MER2004[/url] [url=http://www.spaceflightnow.com/mars/mera/statustextonly.html]Text feed[/url]
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The amount of solar radiation reaching the surface of the earth totals some 3.9 million exajoules a year.

Rxke

Member

From: Belgium

Registered: 2003-11-03

Posts: 3,669

Re: A new bet? - When will shuttle fly?

From what I've read, it looks more and more they're dismantling the STS's and looking at virtually every friggin' piece for wear and tear, and upgrades if deemed necc.

So, refurbishing the Shuttle in a *very* major way. To scrap them shortly afterwards. Crazy. They'll be as good as new, nah, better than new, come to think of it... Couldn't they sell them, if they don't see any use for them themselves?

Despite the overhauls, it will still be the STS as it was: complex, costly and still not super-safe, but safe enough, I'd think... Any scenario's where the STS capabilities would come in handy? Outside NASA's projects, that is.

BWhite

Member

From: Chicago, Illinois

Registered: 2004-06-16

Posts: 2,635

Re: A new bet? - When will shuttle fly?

More return to flight http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=s … light]cost overruns

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Give someone a sufficient [b][i]why[/i][/b] and they can endure just about any [b][i]how[/i][/b]