On the proposed NASA budget
So, this is actually an area I can claim a bit of expertise in, but it's a complicated issue. I also figure some are interested in my take as an Obama supporter.
I've been thinking about this since August, ever since the NASA review panel gave it's report. I'll say that I'm disappointed that it looks like we're abandoning Constellation, but it is probably the smarter choice in the long run-- meaning to say the next 20 years. Abandoning Constellation has some impact, but a lot of that impact is mitigated by other things happening in the industry right now. It does mean we're not going back to the moon by 2020, which means the Chinese are going to get there 'first.' In the long run, though, it's probably smarter to invest in a couple very exciting things happening now.
Personally, this actually turns out to be good for me, as I work in unmanned space systems, and this budget and direction pretty much says that this is the bulk of what NASA is going to do for the next decade. Goddard is one of two unmanned project centers in NASA, the other being JPL, meaning that Goddard goes from kind of back-seat in the Constellation program to front seat in the near-term.
The issue is complicated, not the least so by what I think are common mis-perceptions about the space industry as a whole. So this is going to be a long piece, which I know I'm somewhat prone to, but I am actually trying to cut for brevity.
Hence, I've broken this down into sections which I'll post individually, and then produce a final page that has links to each section. My intention is to post about 1/weekday, which will be easier because I've already written everything up. I'm just trying to pace things out so that it's not all one big info dump.
Sections will be:
Part 1: On The Proposed NASA Budget (This entry)
Part 2: Understanding Current NASA Structure: Space Race to the Shuttle
Part 3: Fundamental Problems with the Shuttle, ISS, and Constellation
Part 4: Commercial Space
Part 5: 2009: The Obama Administration Takes Stewardship of NASA
Part 6: Mars: Still Within Reach
Part 7: Final Thoughts
Stay tuned, Space Monkeys!
I've been thinking about this since August, ever since the NASA review panel gave it's report. I'll say that I'm disappointed that it looks like we're abandoning Constellation, but it is probably the smarter choice in the long run-- meaning to say the next 20 years. Abandoning Constellation has some impact, but a lot of that impact is mitigated by other things happening in the industry right now. It does mean we're not going back to the moon by 2020, which means the Chinese are going to get there 'first.' In the long run, though, it's probably smarter to invest in a couple very exciting things happening now.
Personally, this actually turns out to be good for me, as I work in unmanned space systems, and this budget and direction pretty much says that this is the bulk of what NASA is going to do for the next decade. Goddard is one of two unmanned project centers in NASA, the other being JPL, meaning that Goddard goes from kind of back-seat in the Constellation program to front seat in the near-term.
The issue is complicated, not the least so by what I think are common mis-perceptions about the space industry as a whole. So this is going to be a long piece, which I know I'm somewhat prone to, but I am actually trying to cut for brevity.
Hence, I've broken this down into sections which I'll post individually, and then produce a final page that has links to each section. My intention is to post about 1/weekday, which will be easier because I've already written everything up. I'm just trying to pace things out so that it's not all one big info dump.
Sections will be:
Part 1: On The Proposed NASA Budget (This entry)
Part 2: Understanding Current NASA Structure: Space Race to the Shuttle
Part 3: Fundamental Problems with the Shuttle, ISS, and Constellation
Part 4: Commercial Space
Part 5: 2009: The Obama Administration Takes Stewardship of NASA
Part 6: Mars: Still Within Reach
Part 7: Final Thoughts
Stay tuned, Space Monkeys!