Ok, if you were Bolden what would you be doing differently?
Quote from: brovane on 08/10/2015 01:04 amOk, if you were Bolden what would you be doing differently? I'm not Bolden. It's his administration's responsibility to come up with a workable program within the budget decided by Congress. He hasn't.It really does seem like you're trying to suggest there's no way for this program to be run on schedule with the budget given. If that's the case, it should be cancelled.
It really does seem like you're trying to suggest there's no way for this program to be run on schedule with the budget given. If that's the case, it should be cancelled.
You continue to live in this alternate reality where the NASA administration decides the budget. They don't.
Their job is to make the program work with the budget they are given. If they can't, then the program gets cancelled.
Grinding your teeth over the "stupidity" of Congress isn't going to get this program back on track. They're not going to cede their authority to set the budget.
Congress made no secret of the fact that NASA would not be getting the kind of money this administration had been putting in their budget requests, why did the administration continue with this fantasy?
Now who is ignoring politics. The squeaky wheel gets the grease, as the saying goes, and Bolden & company are squeaking as much as they can to get as much attention as possible.
Quote from: QuantumG on 08/10/2015 02:21 am Congress made no secret of the fact that NASA would not be getting the kind of money this administration had been putting in their budget requests, why did the administration continue with this fantasy?But - if I understand the situation correctly - they ARE getting the overall NASA budget they requested these last years. Its just that the allocation of program funding inside the budget is skewed according to what Congress deems "important". How else can you explain the fact that SLS is historically getting more money than requested, while CC isn't?
Let's say you're right.. doesn't that prove that Bolden is wasting time by keeping SpaceX in the game? What's the point of this program... to get crews flying to the ISS before it splashes into the pacific or to stick it to Congress? I think the program is about flying crews, but it would appear this administration has decided it is about challenging Congress.
Quote from: QuantumG on 08/10/2015 12:40 pmLet's say you're right.. doesn't that prove that Bolden is wasting time by keeping SpaceX in the game? What's the point of this program... to get crews flying to the ISS before it splashes into the pacific or to stick it to Congress? I think the program is about flying crews, but it would appear this administration has decided it is about challenging Congress.It's not a matter of sticking it to Congress. The Administration has always said that it wanted to maintain competition. In other words, they have no intention of downselecting unless they are forced to do so by Congress. There is still a possibility that downselection will happen after CCtCap but I doubt it. NASA believes that commercial crew should have competition just as CRS does. They have pointed out to the Orbital accident as proof that two providers for commercial crew is also needed. Furthermore CCtCap might last until 2023. I am not sure that there is any point of downselecting that alte into the program. My guess is that the ISS will eventually be extended to 2028.
I think the program is about flying crews, but it would appear this administration has decided it is about challenging Congress.
SpaceX is believed to currently be the front runner in the race to get a crew to ISS.
They will be flying crews before the ISS splashes down into the pacific. Even at reduced funding levels they are still on track for having Commercial crew capability before the end of this decade.
I want two providers... (I wanted SN and SpaceX, as you know) but if there must be a downselect I want the "better" provider selected. And by any yardstick **I** care about, that's SpaceX. Cheaper, and advances the state of the art more, and has better knock on effects.
Quote from: brovane on 08/10/2015 01:09 pmThey will be flying crews before the ISS splashes down into the pacific. Even at reduced funding levels they are still on track for having Commercial crew capability before the end of this decade.I think you'll find that these predictions assume funding will go up. The existing program can't be completed at existing funding levels. That's the point.