Author Topic: The Right Direction?  (Read 11536 times)

Offline Freedom7

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The Right Direction?
« on: 10/31/2006 01:48 am »
For some time now I have questioned whether or not our current plans for a CEV are the right ones or not. The shuttle gave us a good vehicle that allowed us to travel into space, drop things off and come back; it turned into our big rig for space travel. While a very complicated vehicle it spurred on our imaginations and it looked cool as well. Do we really think that a glorified capsule will be what the American public is looking for? A souped up version of something that we created over 40 years ago? Is that the best that NASA can offer?

What we need is a PT crusier version of the shuttle. Big enough to comofrtably ferry crews to the ISS and also bring along some stuff. If you want to ferry big stuff to orbit use the cargo shuttle that was originally thought of back in the 80's, but never used.

Are we really going int he right direction I ask?

Offline Jim

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Re: The Right Direction?
« Reply #1 on: 10/31/2006 01:56 am »
CEV is not for the ISS.   It is for the lunar missions and by the way, it can be used for the ISS.  The CEV can bring some cargo with the crew.  There is no reason to have a crew bring cargo to the ISS.  That's why there is an unmanned CEV, Progress, HTV and ATV.  Also, there is no reason, once the ISS is complete, to bring big stuff to the ISS.

CEV is built for the lunar missions and those missions will drive the design.  There is no need for a Shuttle type vehicle.  It needs to be retired

Offline MATTBLAK

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RE: The Right Direction?
« Reply #2 on: 10/31/2006 05:36 am »

>>Are we really going in the right direction I ask?<<

Anything that takes us out of Low Earth Orbit is definitely the right direction. The only major problem I have with the "Vision For Space Exploration" program is the Ares-1 "Stick". That thing is an Albatross around Nasa's neck and has wasted too much time and money as it is.

And as for Shuttles and spaceplanes: I've noticed a lot of people who object to spacecraft in the form of capsules are young people who've grown up never knowing anything else but the Shuttle. Any other form of vehicle is like something from a history book to them, while all the while they are missing the point that the Soyuz design is the most prolific and successful manned spacecraft in history. With only minor modifications, that thing could fly to the Moon!!!

When it comes to spaceplanes, know that private industry will eventually provide regular winged transport between Earth and LEO. Don't expect Nasa to develop those vehicles: They're heading somewhere MUCH higher!!!

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Offline Dobbins

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RE: The Right Direction?
« Reply #3 on: 10/31/2006 06:36 am »
I would have to say that we are finally heading in the right direction after being stuck in Low Earth Orbit for the past 34 years. I fail to see the point in all this nostalgia over the Shuttle now that it is near the end of it's service life. Yes it's a remarkable machine, but lets face it, it's a failed design. It was supposed to make space travel safe, economical , and routine. One of the reasons it's being replaced is safety concerns, the basic capsule design is safer than the basic spaceplane design. It's far cheaper to use an ELV as a launcher than it is to send something into orbit on the shuttle.The very complexity of the Shuttle insured that it would never be routine to launch them, that they would never archive the promised launch rates.

Nor should you make the mistake of thinking that it's just a misapplication of the design that caused the problems, the problems are the basic design.

Last of all shuttle type designs are incapable of dealing with the reentry speeds of a Lunar or a Martian mission, but that is where we are headed. Even if the spaceplane concept didn't have the basic design flaws that it does have this inability to perform the mission at hand is ample reason to reject another spaceplane.
John B. Dobbins

Offline imfan

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Re: The Right Direction?
« Reply #4 on: 10/31/2006 08:21 am »
where is vt-hookie?

Offline Kaputnik

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Re: The Right Direction?
« Reply #5 on: 10/31/2006 09:44 am »
I think the public lost interest in space travel when it was sold, under STS, as 'routine'. Since when was exploration routine? In the early days of manned spaceflight, every single launch meant another step into the unknown- whether it was orbting in a cramped Mercury capsule, or trying out new techniques in Gemini, to the first Apollo landings. The Shuttle made spaceflight as entertaining as getting on a bus. If PR is what you want, you have to make every mission an event. From that point of view Constellation will fare better than STS.
To give an example of how exciting the Shuttle is, I must admit that when I heard the news of the Columbia disaster I was only vaguely aware she was even on a mission at the time.
"I don't care what anything was DESIGNED to do, I care about what it CAN do"- Gene Kranz

Offline kraisee

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Re: The Right Direction?
« Reply #6 on: 11/01/2006 05:18 am »
That's a PR problem.   Space travel, even STS "science" missions are still exciting.   All you've got to do is stand in my back yard as those birds fly and you know exactly how exciting they are!

But NASA's PAO is the problem.   They turn what should be the most incredible venture in all of human activity, into something as interesting as watching paint dry - and sometime's I'd *rather* watch paint dry!

It needs a thorough overhaul and re-focus of the mission of the PAO.   Everything they do should be broadcast to everyone around the world in a way to captivate their interest.

That's really a topic for discussing in a different thread though.

Ross.
"The meek shall inherit the Earth -- the rest of us will go to the stars"
-Robert A. Heinlein

Offline Hoonte

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Re: The Right Direction?
« Reply #7 on: 06/08/2011 10:44 am »
Do we really think that a glorified capsule will be what the American public is looking for? A souped up version of something that we created over 40 years ago? Is that the best that NASA can offer?


Are we really going int he right direction I ask?

By 'we' I gues you mean you..

Exterial resemblance doesn't imply that the interior is the same. It's not the best NASA can offer but it's the best NASA can offer under todays politics and $$$

What do you define as right direction?
Drogues populaires www.viagrasansordonnancefr.com toxicose du medicament

Offline Chris Bergin

Re: The Right Direction?
« Reply #8 on: 06/08/2011 01:06 pm »
Errm, he asked that question FIVE years ago ;D

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Offline NotGncDude

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Re: The Right Direction?
« Reply #9 on: 06/10/2011 06:37 am »
Hehe. that was funny. I didn't notice it either

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