Space Forum / Shuttle / January 2004

Yeah, I just can't remember what the name of the president at that
time was. I am sure it will come to me after a while.
There was a deadline and that shuttle just had to go up even though
the trouble with the seals had been brought to NASA's attention.

Glenn Mahone/Bob Jacobs
Headquarters, Washington                    Jan. 6, 2004
(Phone: 202/358-1898/1600)
Guy Webster

It's probably too early to ask any of these :)
1. The shift to a manned Moon/Mars emphasis must be exciting
for the astronaut corps. But we have alot of astronauts. There's
plenty of ISS assembly missionsto do, but then at least a 4 year

Are there already laws/precedents which would allow some other nation to
rescue Hubble and take it over from NASA the second NASA abandons it ?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26110-2004Jan17.html
"Closing a Window on the Universe"
_Washington Post_ - Sunday, January 18, 2004; Page C01
Excerpts:

I think the president has his priorities wrong. As much as I would love to
see colonies on the moon and manned missions to mars, why are we doing it
now? It costs over $10,000 per pound to put cargo and people into low earth
orbit. Wouldn't it be better to find a way to greatly ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A26037-2004Jan17?language=printer
"NASA said it used the information to investigate whether "data mining" of
the records could improve threat assessments of passengers, according to the
agency's written responses to questions. At the time the ...

Rand wrote:
--
"Most of all, I hope that the administration can break out of the apparent
NASA-centric mindset demonstrated in the president's speech and come up with

Anyone feeling competitive?  Just for the heck of it, and because it was
fun, I took a stab at guessing where Spirit has come to rest, based on the
landing ellipse as shown here:
http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2003/pdf/1061.pdf

The Bush administration's new space policy would result in the
abandonment of winged or lifting body vehicle concepts for NASA's next
manned spacecraft in favor of a capsule design.  Doesn't this seem
like a step backwards?  Obviously the lunar (and beyond) requirement

With the Shuttle slated to retire around the end of the decade or so, we
will be left with the OSP, which may have a capsule-type design (might as
well call it the OS, as a capsule is not a Plane..).
How far are we away from a REAL shuttle replacement, possibly a 2STO or even

Florida today has the story, its because ippf the inspection arm delays.

I attened a presentation by NASA Engineer/Spokesman Jack Fox.
In the lively discussion afterward some bemoaned the demise
of the Shuttle in the new plan from the President, but one remark
was quite suggestive.

Hmm, I am a confirmed cynic. I notice, for instance, the the term Humans is
used a lot when talking about manned exploration, not Americans, as would
have been the case in the past. This leads me to think that  they will also
look for help from other countries with the carrot of ...