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Commented on Stratolaunch Systems Unveiled
"and land the payload on a parachute" Yeah, right. Like that is feasible with existing satellites. Reduce the launch vehicles capability by at least 4 to account for the recovery gear, the beefed up fairing to protect the payload, the... -
Commented on Stratolaunch Systems Unveiled
"How about London, England to Sydney, Australia in an hour and a half?" Huh? You still are not making sense. What airports near London can handle this vehicle. "At six tonnes payload, StratoLaunch can compete in the communications satellite market."... -
Commented on Stratolaunch Systems Unveiled
"Boeing should be worried about this project" No, they won't and they shouldn't be. The vehicle is too big to be operated of passenger airports.... -
Commented on Stratolaunch Systems Unveiled
Bingo... -
Commented on Florida: No Space Pork Here (Update)
Huh? Your post makes no sense. In fact, it is meaningless and adds nothing to the discussion. 1. the commenter has no clue what NASA and Congress roles are 2. Congress has no role in making bids. 3. The point... -
Commented on COTS Faces Reality
"Shouldn't Space-X, at some point, be held accountable to the terms of the COTS contract? " It isn't a contract. It is an agreement and they are being held to it. NASA is only paying for data. "Should NASA, perhaps,... -
Commented on COTS Faces Reality
"And how much more profit did the companies envolved receive??? " Know your subject before criticizing. MSL was a JPL built spacecraft. JPL is a NASA center and it does not make a profit nor does Caltech in operating JPL.... -
Commented on NASA Is Tight Lipped About Commercial Space Forum (Update)
"As it is NASA abandoned it, USAF picked it up, it is classified and USAF will never give NASA the data." That is completely wrong. a. Data on how the X-37 flew and functioned is not classified. b. What says... -
Commented on ESA Contact With Phobos-Grunt - Off and On and Off
"This does make a case for rapid deployment of small, narrow mission, expendable satellites" It does nothing of the sort. It does make a case for the following: a. Have your low gain antennas placed so that they are not... -
Commented on MSL Is On Its Way To Mars
RD-171 is the most powerful rocket engine in the world. RD-180 is half the size/thrust. Skycrane is not an object, it is a maneuver. The descent stage is what lowers the rover onto Mars.... -
Commented on Atlas V Moves Closer To Human Rating
ULA launches Atlas and not USA.... -
Commented on ESA Contact With Phobos-Grunt - Off and On and Off
"The problem is not with the spacecraft but with the upper stage of the launch vehicle. " No, the propulsion system that failed to work is part of the spacecraft and not part of the launch vehicle. The same propulsion... -
Commented on NASA Has Given Enterprise to New York's TBD Final Location
"f hardware-the-loop/iron-bird space systems simulators " Yeah, right. You obviously don't understand the hardware and what the costs would be to do such a thing. The schools don't have the money nor talent to do such thing.... -
Commented on ESA Contact With Phobos-Grunt - Off and On and Off
"What if we had on-orbit servicing ready to go? Isn't it time?' No, it would not be used here. No one would approach a vehicle with no communication and its status unknown. "Think about it!" yes, and it is a... -
Commented on Atlas V Moves Closer To Human Rating
"One difficulty with the current EELV's (Atlas V Heavy and Delta 4 Heavy) is that the three cores do not have cross-feed capability between the cores." How is that a difficulty? a, there is no Atlas V Heavy in the... -
Commented on NASA Mars Science Laboratory Launch Delayed
Yes, MSL seriously. Why don't learn something about spacecraft before making ridiculous comments. a. MSL is not using landing bags, it won't see shocks like MER. MSL is a soft touch down. b. The MSL shock levels are still no... -
Commented on Virginia Releases Commercial Space Flight Study
"It is not the distance from the equator " On the contrary, it is. Virgina is not going to get GTO missions. And OSC is finding that Wallops isn't all that great, and they have buyer's remorse.... -
Commented on NASA Mars Science Laboratory Launch Delayed
"Shouldn't it be as protected during launch as a manned mission? " No, that is not viable and MPCV LAS costs have nothing to do with it. 1. The fairing on launch vehicle is only strong enough to protect the... -
Commented on SpaceX Launch Site Updates
No, OSC chose Wallops because the states gave them more financial incentives than FL.... -
Commented on NASA Mars Science Laboratory Launch Delayed
1. It is a generator and not a reactor. Big difference. 2. Use of an LAS has nothing to do with cost, it would be useless mass. There is no need to pull the payload away from the launch vehicle.... -
Commented on NASA Mars Science Laboratory Launch Delayed
This is why destruct systems are used in the US. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foton-M1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl9u-h_btBo... -
Commented on NASA Mars Science Laboratory Launch Delayed
"or simply terminate thrust before it gets off course enough to end up in someones' back yard. " Which is even more stupid because you take out a couple of launch sites in the process. Range safety destruct systems are... -
Commented on Virginia Vs Florida in Space
Another person who does know what he is talking about. NASA manages Wallops and range and has similar requirements as the USAF. OSC has regretted that it chose Wallops. Florida has more than infrastructure going it, it is more optimal... -
Commented on Virginia Vs Florida in Space
Huh? The 1950's-era policy of "booster destruction" was validated on Falcon 1 first flight. The fully loaded vehicle impacted next to the launch site in a lagoon. If it were at CCAFS or VAFB like it was originally planned, it... -
Commented on First Orion Flight in 2014?
Returning to LEO is a bad decision. Uses too much energy. Orion was not designed for such a mission.... -
Commented on First Orion Flight in 2014?
"A fully debugged Orion would be much less likely to suffer an Apollo 13 style failure." Not true. LEO is not representative of BEO and not even close. BEO mission do not have thousands of temperature cycles. The radiation environment... -
Commented on GAO Report on DoD EELV Acquisition (Update)
There is not a bit of truth in your comments. ex-utc, you clearly don't know what you are talking about. NASA's ELV orbital failure rate for the last 10 years is far from 20%. Last ten years Delta II &... -
Commented on SLS, Saturn V, And Ares V Color Schemes (Update)
The Saturn V had exterior insulation on the S-II and internal insulation on the S-IVB... -
Commented on Orbital GETS COTS Demo OK from FAA
Restrain yourself. This has nothing to do with test philosophy. Without a contract, NASA has no say in anything OSC does. Without a contract, there is no slack to give. NASA has no say in the licensing of OSC for... -
Commented on Orbital GETS COTS Demo OK from FAA
Huh? There is no truth in anything you said. OSC and Spacex do what ever they want. They only get paid for milestones in the COTS agreements, and if engine test is not a milestone, NASA has no say. The...