4 ms·
Just to be clear: This announcement kills the entire Constellation program including Orion, the spacecraft meant to replace the Space Shuttle. In other words,
by thegrossman 17y ago
Just to be clear: This announcement kills the entire Constellation program including Orion, the spacecraft meant to replace the Space Shuttle.
In other words, after the last few shuttle missions this year, the United States will no longer have a manned space program.
Right or wrong, this is devastating news to me.
- Empact 17y agoWe're just as well without it. Absent accountability via serious attention from higher-ups or the constituents themselves, bureaucracies tend to devolve into inefficient, unproductive jobs programs, and NASA is no exception: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=770268 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=770268 The future of space travel will come from organizations with the accountability to properly motivate them to succeed. I, for one, welcome a future of private space flight.
- sketerpot 17y agoThe budget is also increasing NASA support for (or dependence on) private spaceflight companies for their rocketry needs. SpaceX's Dragon space capsule has a manned configuration, and the Falcon 9 rocket is due to make its first orbital launch in the next one to three months. Manned spaceflight is not dying.
- waterlesscloud 17y agoWhy does everyone assume that NASA will turn to the small startup companies? History indicates it's the Lockheeds of the country that NASA will turning to.
- arfrank 17y agoLockheed was once a startup to: http://steveblank.com/2010/01/07/the-secret-history-of-silicon-valley-part-13-lockheed-the-startup-with-nuclear-missiles/ http://steveblank.com/2010/01/07/the-secret-history-of-silic... I'd agree that recent history has shown they turn to the Lockheeds
- thegrossman 17y agoActually, Lockheed is the company that is designing and building the Orion spacecraft. Which is why this whole thing is slightly confusing... NASA does very little design and construction of their own hardware. At least on paper, our manned space program is privatized.
- savrajsingh 17y agoDoes this mean the only way to get people to and from the ISS will be via Russian spacecraft?
- protomyth 17y agoyep, there is money for "out sourcing" manned spaceflight.