LIVE: Congressional Hearings into Obama's NASA Budget FY2011 - Feb 24-25 Part 2

[Chris Bergin]

2:30 p.m. - Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Subcommittee on Science and Space Hearing regarding NASA’s FY 2011 Budget Request - HQ (Public Channel)

www.nasa.gov/ntv

Only post if it's relevant to the hearing and the comments made in the hearing. Any "OMG, why won't they just do Direct" or "Commercial is the savior of all things Human Space Flight" comments will be deleted and the poster will lose their posting privilages.

This is a very important segment of the hearing coming up. Let's concentrate on it.

[marsavian]

Direct Webcast Link

http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Hearings&ContentRecord_id=1fe8aef1-3b71-4380-921f-828311451d7e&ContentType_id=14f995b9-dfa5-407a-9d35-56cc7152a7ed&Group_id=b06c39af-e033-4cba-9221-de668ca1978a&MonthDisplay=2&YearDisplay=2010

Main Page

http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=Hearings&ContentRecord_id=1fe8aef1-3b71-4380-921f-828311451d7e

[psloss]

FWIW, regarding Senator Hutchison, I should have looked at the subcommittee's website -- it doesn't reflect her interest necessarily, but she is not a member of this subcommittee and so won't be appearing at this hearing.  (She is the ranking member of the full Commerce, Science, and Transportation committee.)
http://commerce.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=ScienceandSpace

[Chris Bergin]

Witness Panel 1

The Honorable Charles F. Bolden Jr.
Administrator National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Witness Panel 2
Mr. Robert “Hoot” Gibson Astronaut (Ret.)

Mr. Michael J. Snyder Aerospace Engineer

Mr. Miles O’Brien Journalist and Host

Mr. A. Thomas Young Lockheed Martin Corporation (Ret.)

[bad_astra]

Is the feed working? Mine is still stalled.

[psloss]

Is the feed working? Mine is still stalled.

Hasn't started yet; I assume they're keeping the graphic up until then.

[marsavian]

The direct link is working.

[Chris Bergin]

It's still on the title page - found it was freezing in VLC, but works good on this link:

http://playlist.yahoo.com/makeplaylist.dll?id=1369081

[Chris Bergin]

And we're live. Lots of empty seats If anyone can take screenshots?

[northanger]

[Chris Bergin]

Sen Nelson with opening comments.

"If you wanted to have a robust space program, you would need a significant increase in funding.

"They gave six billion dollars over five years - which is no small matter - but only half what Augustine was reccomending.

"There's only one person who can lead the space program and that's the president - who I know to be a space plan. He needed to make that declaration of support. What happened was the NASA budget - which has a lot of forward thinking and cutting edge stuff in this budget - was rolled out as part of the regular budget process and was misinterpretated and a false impressions.

"Other parts have been completely overlooked. A lot is good from this Senator's perspective. The extension of the ISS to at least to 2020 was an obvious one, but previous funding was for 2015.

[Chris Bergin]

"Here's the problem. Because the president did not make the declaration himself, and with the declaration that CxP was going to be terminated, and with the angst that is already out there with the NASA family because of the layoffs - based on a new rocket not being ready to replace shuttle - it gave the message the president is killing the space program.

"We've got to straigthen out the perception. If we disagree with the substance, we have to change it. The president proposes, congress disposes. So we're going to start the process of understanding the NASA budget. THis is just a first step to clear up the perception, so the clear declaration is there and the American people understand it.

"We need to clearly state what the goal is. We need to arrange the benchmarks to go to Mars. We should dev the tech to go to Mars, and not the other way around.

"You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, or you're not going to get there."

[Cog_in_the_machine]

Nelson basically says "I support the new budget, but it needs a better defined goal and development of an HLV."

He also supports the development of a new kerolox engine.

Supports commercial, but wants both established and entrepreneurial companies to compete. Says the transition to commercial should not compromise astronaut safety.

Tells the commercial operators not to forget the talented workforce that may be out of a job.

[Chris Bergin]

"This budget doesn't hold up the second half of the bargin (LEO, Asteriods, Mars). This senator fears the US will be left on the sidelines without a HLV.

"I hope we're going to get a bold statement and vision for our space program - that is Mars, a declaration that supports HSF beyond LEO and then we can dev the tech for that destination.

"The NASA admin - working with Congress - should make the technical decision, to allow us to assist NASA by appropiating that decision. We need the continued testing of a booster for a tech testbed. A robust HLV program and the continues dev of the spacecraft for beyond LEO - in consert with the other positive items in the budget.

(Likes Aerocapture, On Orbit deports, advanced propulsion) - "the effort should focus on technologies on getting off the pad safer.

Notes there's only a small amount of monies for HLV. Wants Bolden to explain.

"If you recall the giant Saturn V, you will remember those massive F1 engines. We've not had an engine of that capability in nearly four decades. It's time to dev a new hydrocarbon engine that can power future vehicles.

[Chris Bergin]

Supports commercial to LEO, but have three concerned.

1) All the eggs in one basket. Wants multiple competitors from establed and SpaceX type companies. When problems arise, we will have some solid winners.

2) Shift to commercial should not be at the expense of astro safety - big issue with the Senators. Should be held to government standards for safety - HR standards they must adhere to.

3) We must do right by the men and woman that made this space agency great. We're in transition and a great deal of angst. We're going to lose experience and skills. If commercial get billions they must remember their responsibilities. I'm putting you on notice about this incredible workforce.

[Chris Bergin]

This budget retires the shuttle, a decision made previously - the massive loss of jobs is added to by the loss of CxP.

HLV and deep space vehicles will put the workforce to greater use during this transition.

Today we start a critical examination of this budget.

[northanger]

[Cog_in_the_machine]

Vitter believes the budget means the end of HSF in the US.

Says the commercial providers aren't going to be ready with LEO access soon enough.

"This new budget is a budget without a mission" - dissatisfied with the lack of a defined goal.

The budget expands the gap more than Constellation. "...grows the gap to infinity. We just fall off a cliff"

[Chris Bergin]

Sen Vitter:

"I'm just sorry that we are not going to hear from the true architects of this plan, specifically Ms Garver. Want to question them directly.

Will strongly oppose Garver ever becoming NASA admin?

"This budget would end our Human Space Flight program for ever. It cancells all major existing space flight programs. Ends shuttle and ends CxP. Replaces it with a hope and a prayer the commercial providers will pick up the slow. Do not expect that will happen on a reasonable timeline. This plan bares no relation to anything in the Augustine Commission.

"I believe this budget is without a mission. Our greatest accomplishments were gained by JFK's (moon speech). He didn't say we're going to do some cool R&D, he said we're going to the moon.

"You don't accomplish great things without a clearly defined mission."

[kraisee]

No, he calls the untargeted R&D effort to make game changing technologies "little more than a hope and a prayer"

Ross.