William Atkins
Friday, 23 October 2009 20:18
Science -
Space
Page 1 of 3
For many months members of the Augustine Commission have been studying the various options available to the United States with respect to its NASA manned space program. Among its conclusions is that under the current NASA budget, the U.S. space agency will not be able to complete its future goals on a timely basis.
One of the recommendations by the ten-member White House advisory commission is that the Ares I program (one that would provide the rocket to launch astronauts into space under the new Constellation project) is well designed and thought out, but that the current budget for NASA does not support its success.
A
test launch of a 327-foot-tall Ares I-X rocket is scheduled for Tuesday, October 27, 2009.
In fact, the members saw that, under current funding, the Ares I would not become operational until 2017, two years after NASA’s stated beginning of its manned operations with Ares I.
The Ares I launch vehicle is part of the new
Constellation project--including also an Orion space capsule, Ares V heavy-lift cargo launch vehicle, and Altair lunar lander--due to replace the space shuttle fleet, which is due to retire in late 2010, with some suggestions that it be extended into 2011.
The Report states,
“The Committee estimates that, under the current plan, this gap [between the space shuttle retirement and the start of the Constellation project] will be at least seven years. There has not been this long a gap in U.S. human launch capability since the U.S. human space program began.” [Augustine Commission Report]
However, the presidential advisory board stated that if sufficient funds were provided to NASA, then the success of Ares I would be more likely. In fact, the Commission stated that the budget for NASA does not support all of the goals that NASA is currently developing.
NASA currently has a budget of about $18 billion annually. About half of that amount is dedicated for manned space operations, with the other half earmarked for unmanned operations, such as robotic spacecraft to Mars, Saturn, Pluto, and other locales in the solar system.
Page two continues with recommendations for NASA from the Augustine Commision, which was authorized by the Obama White House.
