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• Commented on SLS Industry Day Charts Online

  Dennis Wingo: "We could put the J2-X on a Delta IVH and see what payload boost we would get. I estimate 25% more payload." Questions from an NRS (non rocket scientist): Does the payload to LEO include the J2-X with...

• Commented on Newt Skywalker

  "Marist poll found that kids no longer want to be astronauts". There's a legitimate question now whether the cause was the failure of "Apollo on steroids" as a 21st century space goal, or the end of the Shuttle era (see...

• Commented on Space Policy: Where Next?

  This Marcia Smith Spaceref post is one of the few discussions I've seen of our 21st century space policy that is concerned with both the really non-elective activity in low earth orbit (other than ISS), and the seemingly elective deep-space...

• Commented on There is Something Amiss with MSL's Drill After All

  Maybe NASA scientists could devise a procedure (they're good at that sort of thing) to slowly rotate the drill bits in the strongly ultraviolet Martian sunlight for a while, before sinking them into the soil. It probably won't hurt....

• Commented on MSL Is On Its Way To Mars

  tinker: "...resting the secrets out of War God." From my recollection the Russians have had much more success with their Lunar and Venus missions. What would be the explanation for their disproportionate bad luck with Mars?...

• Commented on Apollo on Truth Serum - Not Steroids

  CadetOne: "since SLS will have one revenue source and one customer (NASA)." That is, if funding is provided and sustained for missions. If there is a glaring difference in launch costs versus alternatives, it may become politically controversial. There isn't...

• Commented on Apollo on Truth Serum - Not Steroids

  Spaceace: "The x -37B succeed ??? at what cost??? " I don't know the historical development cost. I suppose an Atlas V 501 is a pricey lifter for its 4x7 foot cylindrical payload. All the more reason to scale up....

• Commented on Apollo on Truth Serum - Not Steroids

  What some people, Andrew Chaikin included, seem to be saying is that it's either commercial space or NASA boondoggle. Looking at the mess of Constellation and the current SLS/Orion contrivance, versus the remarkable progress SpaceX has made, that's appears to...

• Commented on NASA Budget: What to Cut, What To Save?

  "-Convert the Orion to an in-space mission-module." Forgot to point out, in lieu of Orion as lander, a Dragon or modified CST-100 would be used. Regarding the modification of CST-100, The proposed use of the ATV as an Orion service...

• Commented on NASA Budget: What to Cut, What To Save?

  dogstar2: "Agree. Cancel SLS/Orion now. We're going to cancel it within 5 years anyway as tax cuts strangle NASA." We should consider just partial cancellation of SLS/Orion, and here's how: -Convert the Orion to an in-space mission-module. It just may...

• Commented on X-37 Variant To Launch Crews?

  Re Spaceace: flash """We're far more likely to see the Dream Chaser fly." Firstly, I'm not the one who originally wrote that "more likely" sentiment, I was quoting it to disagree with it. Re Spaceace: "Wouldn't dream chaser be better...

• Commented on X-37 Variant To Launch Crews?

  "Boeing is going to stick to the CST-100." That's a major question here. Boeing may be sounding out whether they should continue with CST-100 or switch to X37-C work. Obama has supported the X-37 so far, and there's a good...

• Commented on X-37 Variant To Launch Crews?

  Re the Prometheus, looks like it's gone to that great drawing-board-in-the-sky. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prometheus_(spacecraft)#Commercial_Crew_Development_program...

• Commented on X-37 Variant To Launch Crews?

  From the diagrams it's difficult to tell, but it looks like one of the proposed configurations (fig. 13, upper) has a portal in the rear end, like the HL-20 designs. I believe that's a good idea. The vehicle becomes inline-extensible...

• Commented on Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.

  Steve Jobs interviewed in 1984: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/10/06/steve-jobs-1984-access-magazine-interview.html...

• Commented on First Orion To Fly In Space Under Construction

  Re Lockheed Martin crew vehicle delivery, LM has been jerked around since the beginning of of the "Shuttle replacement" drama: 1. LM originally proposed the following: http://www.astronautix.com/craft/cevkheed.htm Note the fateful item: "However in the final design a steep-sloped ballistic capsule...

• Commented on Hutchison/Nelson: Undermining America's Manned Space Program

  CadetOne: "I don't feel there is anything like that excitement anymore. :(" I remember the CGI video of the proposed Constellation Moon trip, but I can't recall any public "excitement", or even any substantial public awareness. It also seemed like...

• Commented on First Orion To Fly In Space Under Construction

  I believe the reason for the exact conical shape of both the Apollo and Orion capsules is to enable a "skip" or "double-dip" reentry. As for "more volume" in a hab or mission-module, you pay for it with added mass,...

• Commented on Hutchison/Nelson: Undermining America's Manned Space Program

  greytguy: "Is there a plan for what SLS will be used for? There is a political problem regarding Beyond Low Earth Orbit. When they go beyond the shakedown type mission to L1 or lunar orbit, they must choose a destination:...

• Commented on First Orion To Fly In Space Under Construction

  It's true that it's not a preference for long duration, for that there would be the Bigelow stuff. But as a mission-module it would be an improvement over just the interior space of an Orion, Dragon or Dream Chaser. As...

• Commented on First Orion To Fly In Space Under Construction

  On that "Multi-Purpose" note, I'm wondering about the possibility of a stripped-down Orion being used as an in-space module, that is, no heat shield, parachutes, airbags, or strap-in cradles, and a vastly modified service module (I'd guess). For this it...

• Commented on A Fading NASA, Afraid Of Its Own Shadow

  WylieC: "Possibly give the whole thing to DARPA." On that note, much of the appropriate work of future manned-space may be of the readiness-and-response category: repairing needed com or recon sats, shepherding large space debris sources and out-of-control junk, space...

• Commented on A Fading NASA, Afraid Of Its Own Shadow

  WylieC: "Possibly give the whole thing to DARPA." On that note, much of the appropriate work of future manned-space may be of the readiness-and-response category: repairing needed com or recon sats, shepherding large space debris sources and out-of-control junk, space...

• Commented on A Fading NASA, Afraid Of Its Own Shadow

  "I don't see how anyone can see these projects lasting congress after congress, president after president." That's an important thing to think about. In the case of the SLS, its mandate is tied to the Nasa Authorization Act of 2010,...

• Commented on More Sour Grapes From Mike Griffin

  ASFalcon13: "…there's no guarantee that the next administration will be any better…" To put that into some kind of perspective, the nine presidents since Kennedy (including Obama) have produced a total of one new human-space-launch system, the Space Shuttle....

• Commented on Questions Arise About NASA's SLS Estimates

  Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas: "…the administration could have approved the vehicle design concept months ago…and ensured U.S. leadership in space and science.” She is making some tall claims about the Senatorial designed SLS, most notably, that it will...

• Commented on SLS: A Rarely Flown Rocket to Nowhere?

  "...evidence for life...might be the impetus to...fund serious human exploration of Mars." Think again. Finding life on Mars would be a reason to not contaminate Mars by human presence. Also, finding life on Mars would be a reason to be...

• Commented on SLS: A Rarely Flown Rocket to Nowhere?

  Names that come to mind regarding the present NASA human space flight situation: Bush, Griffin, Shelby, Nelson, Obama. Fair is fair, and we should give credit where credit is due....

• Commented on What Name Would You Pick for Pluto's Newly-Discovered Moon?

  Piv....

• Commented on Being Clear As To Who Actually Cancelled The Shuttle

  "X37 is too small to carry humans." Its fuselage is about the same size as a Soyuz, and I said internally retrofit the X37. It presently has very large fuel tanks inside for extensive maneuvering over 270 days. A 12'x6'(diam)...