If your COTS 4 will become reality someday, it will be pointless for NASA to use or develop their own spacecraft anymore, when they can just buy them. I guess it will be a good thing.
The VSE subtitle is "Moon, Mars and Beyond". All for 16 billion dollars (not seperating it out further to just exploration dollars) a year? Hardly.
Eventually, the moon base, etc will need to be turned over to private enterprise for us to take the next step. Just as you are beginning to see the first steps in that with regards to LEO.
Quote from: OV-106 on 06/20/2008 04:53 pmThe VSE subtitle is "Moon, Mars and Beyond". All for 16 billion dollars (not seperating it out further to just exploration dollars) a year? Hardly.I wasn`t aware the goal of VSE is doing Moon and Mars (what is Beyond, btw? NEOs? Ceres?) at the same time.But I think the basic idea is that as you develop further, your prices drop. Not to mention the fact than US economy grows over time, so even the relative size of the Apollo program would be smaller today.QuoteEventually, the moon base, etc will need to be turned over to private enterprise for us to take the next step. Just as you are beginning to see the first steps in that with regards to LEO. I was merely talking about contracting spacecraft, not about private enterprise doing something in space by themselves. When something worthwhile will be discovered on the Moon, private enterprise will come there with or without NASA`s help. It is the way market works.
On not knowing what the VSE is truely about....that's sad. Score one for the PR/marketing guys. Beyond is just what is sounds like.....it's a big universe.
There is no COTS II. Crew to ISS is part of COTS I (it is phase D)
Quote from: Jim on 06/20/2008 04:43 pmThere is no COTS II. Crew to ISS is part of COTS I (it is phase D)OK Make crew to moon phase E and Cargo to Moon phase F. COTS II was used else where.