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• Commented on NASA Uses Flexible Approach Toward Commercial Crew

  The GAO gave me an answer to a question.NASA will have missions to ISS when Dragon is ready.They still say '14.Will not have to wait till contract to carry crew to ISS,now '17.A problem is that NASA has to...

• Commented on Stratolaunch Systems Unveiled

  The first stage could glide to a landing.The CG looks correct for empty tanks.I guess a 2 person,400lbs capacity air launch to orbit is not cost effective....

• Commented on NASA Announces Next SpaceX Dragon Mission to ISS

  I read that they will carry a large supply of stowage bags,so that Dragon and Cygnus can bring back a lot of trash.Probably no external cargo,which is half of the capacity.The Orbcom satellites may get in the way.They have...

• Commented on NASA Announces Next SpaceX Dragon Mission to ISS

  Even better Tinker,I see where some people think they can offer a kit for a 4lb payload to the Moon.For $5000.Nice to finally see an end to my project.When the original schedule came out for COTS,they were going to have...

• Commented on Looking Back at Earth From Spaceport America

  I guess there is no problem with rockets falling on houses from this desert launch site,unlike Baikanor.After seeing the documentary Space Tourists showing 1st stage Soyuz rockets around houses,I checked Google Earth.I thought it was uninhabited.I did not think...

• Commented on NASA Is Tight Lipped About Commercial Space Forum (Update)

  Bolden mentioned the J-2X.They are putting all this work in it and then moth ball it.The first 2 flights will probably use Centaur.How about the body?They should be working on it.Knowing NASA they will have several non flying test...

• Commented on New SLS NRA Ready for Release

  My point was that instead of wasting 200 million on ideas,just go ahead and ask for bids on the tank and engine attach,the body.Then put this money on building one.Congress is giving NASA more SLS money than they need.They...

• Commented on New SLS NRA Ready for Release

  These millions are just for engineering ideas and demonstrations,not to build a rocket body and tank.Just ask for bids on the body and spend the money on a rocket.Do I get 300 million for that idea?I said they could...

• Commented on MSL Is On Its Way To Mars

  Nice to see no problems.The best was when the giant Osprey made a vertical dive and vertical climb back to altitude.I do that with my RC airplanes and it is called a reverse Humpty Bump. I looked up Mars...

• Commented on ESA Contact With Phobos-Grunt - Off and On and Off

  I wonder where the 1,2,3 stages for this launch came down.I watched Space Tourists documentary.There was a part on what happened to the rocket.The tourist vehicle nearly hit a town.They show video of the rocket bodies and houses next...

• Commented on Atlas V Moves Closer To Human Rating

  Yes,launching the MPCV that weighs 25 tons,with a launch vehicle with a capacity of 70 tons is not cost effective.45 tons of ballast.The Orion was to be launched by Ares-1,not 5.I would like to see someone come up with...

• Commented on Senate Hearing on Human Spaceflight

  How about F-9?The Orion capsule weighs 19,650lb.NASA has not mentioned or shown development of the service module(27,198lbs.).For the test objectives announced it is not needed.Like the first Dragon reentry.F-9 lists 23,000lbs. to LEO.With the new uprated engines and margins...

• Commented on Senate Hearing on Human Spaceflight

  370 million for a Delta 4 Heavy,for the first flight of MPCV.If they can get the funds.I guess they have a good reason for not selecting the 100 million Falcon Heavy.It would be easier to get the 100 million.It...

• Commented on Tuesday's Hearing on Planetary Science

  I have been thinking about MSL-Curiosity.Was the name chosen because of the just curious science it does?Why not name it for the useful and must do science to prepare for people on Mars?Like the radiation and toxic elements that...

• Commented on NASA Can't Explain What MSL Is Looking For - And What It Can Find

  Reading farther,I found that RAD will be on during cruise.The high energy particles will go through the heat shield or back shell. .Also UV and chemicals harmful to people will be looked for.A lot of questions that have come...

• Commented on NASA Can't Explain What MSL Is Looking For - And What It Can Find

  Here is something that NASA knows what they are looking for.My favorite instrument.Getting ready to send people to Mars.It has finally started.The name is RAD.From MSL website: The Radiation Assessment Detector (RAD) will be one of the first instruments...

• Commented on Phobos-Grunt Mission Threatened

  The US has an experiment on board,by the Planetary Society that should be of interest to those worried about BEO radiation. From the Planetary Society: Inside the patented Phobos LIFE “biomodule,” along with a larger soil sample container, are...

• Commented on First Orion Flight in 2014?

  If they like the responses,then they will have a competition.Strange.1st flight of Falcon Heavy is '13 not '14.From Vandenberg.This has to be from The Cape.Delta 4 Heavy some say.Expensive.Maybe a Billion $?Atlas Heavy would be cheaper.Maybe Falcon Heavy on...

• Commented on NASA Studies Fuel Depots - But Won't Brief Congress On Them

  Titan had pretty good performance on hypergolics.Human rated with Gemini.90% of Centaur weight really is fuel.The fuel tanks are pressurized.That is what gives them their strength.They would collapse otherwise.Like a football.I wonder if F9 tanks are vented.If the 1st...

• Commented on WSJ. Magazine Honors Elon Musk

  The thing that worries me on Tesla is that it has 6000 cells in the battery.I would not want to be the tech that had to check all,to find one bad cell.I think they are using 123 cells.They are...

• Commented on Commercial Crew Hearing This Morning

  NASA will not have the money to do any more than they have to.There are going to be across the board cuts.They may have to take SpaceX.They may have to cut SLS to pay for their share of Deficit...

• Commented on Commercial Crew Hearing This Morning

  NASA said SAAs are illegal.DragonRider may be ready in 3 years,but NASA will not.They have a contract with Soyuz till '17.The bids come out in Dec.Boeing will have a test flight with 2 crew.Maybe SpaceX will have a test...

• Commented on Commercial Crew Hearing This Morning

  The CCdev2 60 day report is available at NASA.gov.Nice to see the CST-100 doing airbag drop tests from a trailer out in the Mojave desert.SpaceX is ready to build their abort motors.The astronauts assigned to each company are shown.The hearing...

• Commented on Update on NASA's Hidden Fuel Depot Studies

  Are fueling depots needed?The Mars mission is unknown.I heard Gerstenmaier say it would be the size of ISS.Even SLS is not going to put that up in one trip.Will many missions until '35 be used so that the base...

• Commented on NASA Approves SpaceX Launch Abort PDR

  As with all SpaceX designs, increased safety and reliability are paramount. “Dragon’s integrated launch abort system provides astronauts with the ability to safely escape from the beginning of the launch until the rocket reaches orbit,” explained David Giger, co-lead of...

• Commented on NASA's Perception of Size and Commerce

  Gerstenmaier has a lot of technical experience.He was at a lot of Shuttle news conferences and knew everything about the Shuttles.He is an engineer.He even worked on early wind tunnel testing of the Shuttle.I hope his memory is not...

• Commented on Commercial Crew Hearing This Morning

  NASA will keep the before and after launch medical.Something new was the State Department approved launch site.Can't fly over Cuba?I approve of everything,I wonder if the companies will? I wonder if the reason Boeing,L-M did not bid on COTS-D...

• Commented on Commercial Crew Hearing This Morning

  This is big.2hrs is not enough.I should have taken notes.Rules for space flight participants are there.If you bring non NASA people,you will have to provide everything they need,like food. Here is a gem.Only 2 days up and 4 hrs...

• Commented on Commercial Crew Hearing This Morning

  I read the CCT docs and all I can say is WOW!It is the Shuttle all over again.NASA has it covered.Everything.If I had a question,it was covered.I do not not think that anyone can come up with a question,that...

• Commented on Commercial Crew Hearing This Morning

  I finally found the commercial crew transportation documents.Not at commercial NASA.gov though.Very through.They all start with CCT-.A search at NASA.gov should turn them up.They give sample missions to ISS.Even a sat. servicing mission. These 5 min. questioning periods the...