Cloud storage: Lower cost and increase uptime
'I want an advanced heavy lift rocket, not recycled Apollo'
The President also stated that America will instead begin work in the 2020s on human spaceflight beyond Earth orbit, which could see an asteroid visit in 2025 and boots on Mars in the 2030s. This would call for a heavy lift rocket able to put big payloads into Earth orbit for assembly into "deep-space" missions. According to the President:
We will invest more than $3 billion to conduct research on an advanced heavy lift rocket - a vehicle to efficiently send into orbit the crew capsules, propulsion systems, and large quantities of supplies needed to reach deep space. In developing this new vehicle, we will not only look at revising or modifying older models; we want to look at new designs, new materials, new technologies that will transform not just where we can go but what we can do when we get there. And we will finalize a rocket design no later than 2015 and then begin to build it.
The former Ares V was to be derived in large part from existing Space Shuttle and Apollo rocket tech and was to be capable of delivering nearly two hundred tonnes into Earth orbit. Grunt of this magnitude isn't yet on offer from private builders: Elon Musk's Falcon 9, for instance - which is yet to fly - aims to put only ten tonnes into orbit.
However the Falcon 9 is a new design and promises to do its work much more cheaply than the older tech of the shuttle and Apollo eras - delivered by long-established space titans like Boeing - ever could. President Obama spent a good deal of time talking to Elon Musk during his visit to Florida, and Musk has offered effusive support for Obama's vision.
According to Musk, NASA could never have afforded the running costs of the Ares rockets even after their long-delayed and expensive development was complete. In a statement released at the same time as Obama's speech, he said:
We can ill afford the expense of an “Apollo on steroids” ...Thankfully, as a result of funds freed up by this cancellation, there is now hope for a bright future in space exploration. Handing over Earth orbit transport to American commercial companies, overseen of course by NASA and the FAA, will free up the NASA resources necessary to develop interplanetary transport technologies. This is critically important if we are to reach Mars, the next giant leap in human exploration of the Universe.
It would seem that the president is even thinking of newer tech, perhaps, for the as yet unchosen 2015 heavy lifter. By the time that decision is made, the Falcon 9 may be flying regularly and SpaceX or its fellow "new space" companies may be contenders to work on the big lifters which will hoist the deep space missions of tomorrow off Earth.
Boeing doesn't seem at all happy at the prospect. The huge corporation issued a statement at the weekend, saying:
We are greatly concerned that by backing away from the challenges of human space exploration, the United States would relinquish its leadership of a mission that has inspired generations ...We support the president's call for increased investment in heavy-lift launch vehicle technology, but we believe the United States should be on a clear path to accelerate the development and production of this critical system, along with a deep-space capsule. Both of these vehicles are essential to any deep-space exploration mission. We have the technology and the people to commence development of these vehicles now ...
Remaining at the forefront of human spaceflight is the only choice worthy of this great nation and to the long line of explorers and visionaries who brought us to where we are today.
It certainly seems a little harsh to say that President Obama is "backing away" from space exploration just yet. He does seem to be backing away from Boeing just a bit, though. ®
COMMENTS
Perhaps
Boeing should try and compete on merit with the smaller companies and develop a commercially viable lifter that they can then sell/run for NASA.
But it seems they actually just want to suckle on the Goverment teat and have no interest in furthering Space exploration. Bunch of whining pussies.
Simply put
Letting in the small guys to build lift vehicles is better for the US government in the long run. It may slow down the NASA's jaunt to Mars in the short term, but governments are useless (by and large) at running any sort of project like this without hemorrhaging large amounts of cash and time. Commercial companies can do it better as they can't afford to do this.
By letting the small guys in and to catch up to Boeing, Obama is being very shrewd. In 20 years time he's counting on there being a thriving commercial market place for lift vehicles and all the benefits of driving down costs that that brings. This is opposed to the government backed near-monopoly that Boeing have enjoyed so far where they can more or less dictate the price and know that if they don't deliver on time the best that the administration could do was cancel the project or fine them - both of which would have been factored in to the original cost estimate. I know this: been there, done that, bought the T-shirt. Ever wondered why government projects always seem to cost so much more than anything done in private industry?
Plus, what's the betting the top dogs at Boeing are all friends of the former Bush administration? If I was Obama I'd be looking to reallocate as much money away from such big businesses as possible, just because I would never be sure how much of that business was won on merit or favour.
Really?
Any commercial company only makes these types of statements when something is affecting their bottom line. If Boeing was too cuddly, lazy and expensive in the past then this is just the reaction that they will have towards more competition.
Anyway, one small piece of the military-industrial complex just got vaporized, lets have a round!
Agentless Backup is Not a Myth
Steps to Take Before Choosing a Business Continuity Partner
Requirements Checklist for Choosing a Cloud Backup and Recovery Service Provider
Cloud storage: Lower cost and increase uptime
SaaS data loss: The problem you didn’t know you had
