Author Topic: OpEd - Space Launch System is a threat to JSC, Texas jobs  (Read 11386 times)

Offline Jim

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Offline Danderman

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Re: OpEd - Space Launch System is a threat to JSC, Texas jobs
« Reply #1 on: 04/23/2012 04:13 pm »
To summarize, because NASA is blowing most of its available cash on the Senate Space Launch System, there isn't any money to pay for the payloads for HLV.  Since JSC engineers normally would work on the payloads (such as landers), the Engineering Directorate at JSC is in the process of dying off.

Apparently, engineering for HLV is mostly done at places other than JSC, such as Marshall.

The article claims that funding for HLV payloads won't come until the next decade.

Offline Chris Bergin

Why didn't they stand up and say something 1, 2, 3 or 4 years ago?

Writing a shot op-ed now is pointless and unhelpful and way too late, and for that reason, I'm out.
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Offline jongoff

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Re: OpEd - Space Launch System is a threat to JSC, Texas jobs
« Reply #3 on: 04/23/2012 04:18 pm »
http://www.chron.com/opinion/outlook/article/Space-Launch-System-is-a-threat-to-JSC-Texas-jobs-3498836.php

This article did hit on a point I've been thinking about for a while.

When you look at NASA's internal expertise in mission operations vs. its expertise in launch vehicle development, it's pretty clear that its expertise in mission operations is far more valuable and unique than its launcher development. There are several industry groups with a far better demonstrated track record of recent launch vehicle development (LM/Boeing/ULA, Orbital, SpaceX, etc), but almost nobody with experience comparable to what we're losing at JSC and with USA being dissolved.

Why are we throwing most of the NASA HSF money at saving the most redundant part of NASA's manned spaceflight capacity (launcher development), while sacrificing the truly unique part (manned operations)?

~Jon

Offline JohnFornaro

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Re: OpEd - Space Launch System is a threat to JSC, Texas jobs
« Reply #4 on: 04/23/2012 04:20 pm »
Pretty dire assessment.
Sometimes I just flat out don't get it.

Offline Longhorn John

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Re: OpEd - Space Launch System is a threat to JSC, Texas jobs
« Reply #5 on: 04/23/2012 04:21 pm »
Why didn't they stand up and say something 1, 2, 3 or 4 years ago?

Writing a shot op-ed now is pointless and unhelpful and way too late, and for that reason, I'm out.

Exactly. Filed in the trash where it belongs.

But they are just looking for headlines, so there are bound to find a dissenter somewhere and not run anything from the supporters.

Offline Martin FL

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Re: OpEd - Space Launch System is a threat to JSC, Texas jobs
« Reply #6 on: 04/23/2012 04:22 pm »
Useless op-ed. Maybe that paper should concentrate on reporting the development progress of this vehicle, because they've done next to nothing on this so far.

Offline DaveJSC

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Re: OpEd - Space Launch System is a threat to JSC, Texas jobs
« Reply #7 on: 04/23/2012 04:23 pm »
Shameful opinion editorial. If they want to talk about jobs, how about the thousands lost from the stupid retirement of the orbiters.

Offline Jason A

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Re: OpEd - Space Launch System is a threat to JSC, Texas jobs
« Reply #8 on: 04/23/2012 04:31 pm »
Well if they just nodded their heads during the decision making, but now complain years later, they deserve not to be taken seriously.

Besides, I thought SLS was a "jobs program"? Some people need to make their minds up, instead of just supporting any negative reference.

Offline RobbieCape

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Re: OpEd - Space Launch System is a threat to JSC, Texas jobs
« Reply #9 on: 04/23/2012 04:43 pm »
This is a shame as this is actually former NASA people who think now is the time to try and derail things.

Offline Chris Bergin

This is a shame as this is actually former NASA people who think now is the time to try and derail things.

Well I stand by what I said about the timing, but we're talking about more than "just" former NASA people. We're talking about Chris Kraft, who is a legend.
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Offline jongoff

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Re: OpEd - Space Launch System is a threat to JSC, Texas jobs
« Reply #11 on: 04/23/2012 05:36 pm »
Besides, I thought SLS was a "jobs program"? Some people need to make their minds up, instead of just supporting any negative reference.

It's perfectly consistent to believe that SLS is a "jobs program" while also believing that it's a jobs program that disproportionally benefits someone else at the expense of your center.

I still think that his point about SLS hurting JSC's ability to maintain its mission ops experience base is perfectly legit. 

~Jon

Offline Gene DiGennaro

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Re: OpEd - Space Launch System is a threat to JSC, Texas jobs
« Reply #12 on: 04/23/2012 05:40 pm »
I'm very surprised that Kraft has spoken out in opposition to the SLS. Has he always held this position? It seems to be in counter to some of his Apollo era colleagues.

Offline jongoff

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Re: OpEd - Space Launch System is a threat to JSC, Texas jobs
« Reply #13 on: 04/23/2012 05:51 pm »
This is a shame as this is actually former NASA people who think now is the time to try and derail things.

Well I stand by what I said about the timing, but we're talking about more than "just" former NASA people. We're talking about Chris Kraft, who is a legend.

Well, this also isn't the first editorial Chris Kraft has penned on the topic.  There was this one from last December:

http://spacenews.com/commentaries/111219-nasa-needs-wake-reality.html

And I wouldn't be surprised if I could find older ones if I dug around a bit longer.

In fact, digging around a little longer, he had an op ed last summer focused on not retiring Shuttle prematurely (which answers a previous poster's complaint):

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/save-space-shuttle-int-space-station-disabled-a-rescue-fleet-article-1.131485

FWIW,

~Jon

Offline TexasRED

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Re: OpEd - Space Launch System is a threat to JSC, Texas jobs
« Reply #14 on: 04/23/2012 07:06 pm »
This one comes out a swingin'  :o

Has a point though. Seems the gist is that with SLS we don't fly as often, and not until SLS in online. Though one could argue that we aren't not waiting to fly until SLS is online with EFT-1 that will be out of MCC etc.

More so, that we could be spending that ~1.8B on completing Orion, Deep habs, MMSEV etc. and as a result we get more frequent missions. And more missions is good for JSC, and isn't directly tied to launcher XYZ. 

I didn't take this as anit-JSC (or "anti-NASA") in the slightest.  He is still around, I still bump into him occasionally around town. I take this as deep concern for JSC's long term future.

(And please don't read this post as Anti-SLS.)

Offline woods170

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Re: OpEd - Space Launch System is a threat to JSC, Texas jobs
« Reply #15 on: 04/23/2012 07:21 pm »
This is a shame as this is actually former NASA people who think now is the time to try and derail things.

Well I stand by what I said about the timing, but we're talking about more than "just" former NASA people. We're talking about Chris Kraft, who is a legend.
Even legends are wrong sometimes.

Offline jongoff

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Re: OpEd - Space Launch System is a threat to JSC, Texas jobs
« Reply #16 on: 04/23/2012 07:22 pm »
This is a shame as this is actually former NASA people who think now is the time to try and derail things.

Well I stand by what I said about the timing, but we're talking about more than "just" former NASA people. We're talking about Chris Kraft, who is a legend.
Even legends are wrong sometimes.

*cough*Armstrong*cough*

Offline neilh

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Re: OpEd - Space Launch System is a threat to JSC, Texas jobs
« Reply #17 on: 04/23/2012 07:31 pm »
Well, I think it's safe to assume that these are two NASA legends who won't be invited to speak at a Congressional hearing any time soon...
Someone is wrong on the Internet.
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Offline mrmandias

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Re: OpEd - Space Launch System is a threat to JSC, Texas jobs
« Reply #18 on: 04/23/2012 11:10 pm »
The space community already resembles a cage match.  As we enter a long season of budget restraints, we should expect more of this.  Zero-sum or even negative-sum budget games don't make for harmony.

Offline Chris Bergin

Got to ask, has it always been like this, even back in the 60s?

"That Von Braun's come up with a monster rocket, we don't need it!"?
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