Space Shuttle program stops, now what?

[IronRain]

I'm actually not sure if I'm posting this in the right topic but I have a question

With only (almost) 3 Shuttle missions remaining, what is NASA going to do after the final shuttle launch?

First, their new launch vehicle was Ares-1 with Orion, but now Obama cuts the finance, is the whole constellation program cancelled, or only the ''back to the moon'' program?

I've also heard something about something about flying more shuttle mission....

so whats correct??

IronRain

 

[PhantomCruiser]

NASA losing the shuttle does bite. But, it never became the cheap and reusable spacecraft that it was envisioned to be. Very manpower intensive and expensive, like it or not, it's soon to be gone. I'm sure some voters will show their frustrations in the voting booth. NASA brass has said it wouldn't be difficult to provide a few extra shuttle flights, but the program is moving to its end.
NASA can still access the ISS by way of the Soyuz, nothing wrong with it, it's proven, it's reliable and it was just used to put 3 members on site to the ISS yesterday.
SpaceX has won the contract to resupply the ISS, via it's soon to be tested Falcon9 rocket with the (reusable) Dragon capsule. Testing is underway now (www.spacex.com), first flight of the Falcon/Dragon should be in May (fingers crossed). This would put SpaceX in good position to man-rate the Dragon for PAX (personnel) transfers, but that is still years away in any realistic view.

Last I read Bigelow Aerospace still has plans for an Orion Lite version to access their own plans for a commercial space station (read up on Genesis I and II), results have been pretty cool.

The DreamChaser, in the Orbiter world it looks like an HL-20, I'm sure it'll be available as a download soon (if it isn't already). Dreamchaser is to be built (perhaps) by Sierra Nevada, or Bensen Space Co. or somebody, who knows... It's a little hard to chase down, which means, it might never fly... Perhaps a later version might though.

Virgin Galactic and VSS Enterprise is probably going to be a leader in space tourism with a straight up/straight down space experience. No ability to go for an extended LEO for now.

To me, a dumb-ol' wrench turner, it looks like SpaceX is well positioned to lead the commercial space race, followed (chased?) by Bigelow. Elon Musk doesn't have shareholders to worry about, just contractual obligations. He's also expressed a desire to go to Mars, if I had the right background I'd be pounding on the door to sign up.

I almost forgot ESA's capabilities, their Jules Verne ATV is pretty sweet, get that man capable and it'll provide another method of getting crew to the ISS.

We are far from done with the ISS, NASA will more than likely be able to concentrate on the science of space. Unless there are some unforseen (or secret) things yet to happen, the flag-waving Nationalistic space program is probably over with (China notwithstanding). Future manned exploration will probably be multinational in order to share the costs.

I really hope I missed something, mankind is destined to explore, and no matter how much we spend "here at home" we will NEVER solve all the worlds problems.

...On an unrelated note, how's you station building project? I'm about a week away from the next base building launch...

 

[IronRain]

okay, thanks,
I've also heard that NASA don't want to use the Russian Soyuz, because they want to do it their selfs..
It's too bad that the shuttle program stops, but after almost 30 years of work, I think the shuttles deserve some rest

..On an unrelated note, how's you station building project? I'm about a week away from the next base building launch...

The first mission to the the station is launching at April 18th. It was a big gap between the station launch (almost 2 weeks ago) and the first mission launch (12 days from now), so I'll think I need to look at that. I think I'm going to plan the new missions, right after the previous mission is ended. thanks for asking!

 

[tblaxland]

what is NASA going to do after the final shuttle launch?

NASA has always been a lot more than human spaceflight. Looking at where the money is going, the biggest slices of Space Shuttle Program pie are going to earth science and space technology development. The ISS program also gets significant increases in support of its extension to 2020.
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/420990main_FY_201_ Budget_Overview_1_Feb_2010.pdf

now Obama cuts the finance

I've just posted it elsewhere, so I'll save repeating myself:
http://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?p=162501#post162501

is the whole constellation program cancelled, or only the ''back to the moon'' program?

The whole Constellation program. As far as human spaceflight is concerned, the focus is now on technology development and research.

I've also heard something about something about flying more shuttle mission....

so whats correct??

It is speculation. The only "known" is that STS-133 is the last scheduled flight.

 

[IronRain]

NASA has always been a lot more than human spaceflight. Looking at where the money is going, the biggest slices of Space Shuttle Program pie are going to earth science and space technology development. The ISS program also gets significant increases in support of its extension to 2020.
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/420990main_FY_201_ Budget_Overview_1_Feb_2010.pdf


I've just posted it elsewhere, so I'll save repeating myself:
http://www.orbiter-forum.com/showthread.php?p=162501#post162501


The whole Constellation program. As far as human spaceflight is concerned, the focus is now on technology development and research.


It is speculation. The only "known" is that STS-133 is the last scheduled flight.

well, that makes a lot clear, thanks!

 

[garyw]

President Obama is due to visit KSC on 15th April and is expected to give a speech on his comittement to space flight.
What this means for a shuttle extension is, right now, anyones guess. Some lawmakers in the USA are trying to get a law passed to prevent the Shuttle from being scrapped until a replacement vehicle is ready.

A lot of it is still "watch this space" and in the meantime the shuttle programme is being wound down.

 

[Shadow Addict]

I've been out of the loop for a month or so, and the last news I can really remember is Constellation's cancellation. From what I can tell in this topic, we haven't fully dropped manned spaceflight in favor of SpaceX or anything, right?

 

[garyw]

To be determined after Obama's speech on Tuesday. There is talk of "Orion-lite" to enable the USA to ship people to the ISS.

NASAWatch Article

 

[Shadow Addict]

To be determined after Obama's speech on Tuesday. There is talk of "Orion-lite" to enable the USA to ship people to the ISS.

NASAWatch Article

Well that article is more hopeful than I imagined. The past few days, I've been internally lamenting that I completely missed on on the golden age of manned spaceflight by about 40 years (the trade-off being, of course, that I have access to the wonderful approximation of it that Orbiter is). Seeing America's spaceflight program reduced to commercial ferrying would be incredibly sad for me.

Also, perhaps this'll inspire someone to release a sidemount addon (as great as the Shuttle-C is, it's not exactly the sidemount) :thumbup:

 

[garyw]

Also, perhaps this'll inspire someone to release a sidemount addon (as great as the Shuttle-C is, it's not exactly the sidemount) :thumbup:

sidemount is John Shannons idea and has been doing the rounds at NASA HQ labeled "NOT SHUTTLE-C" :lol:

I thought that the sidemount idea had been killed along with Constellation but then again there are so many rumours going around NASA and the hill it's hard to know what the truth is so best to wait for Obama's speech on 15th April.

Oh and you want a sidemount for Orbiter? Here you go -> [ame="http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=4532"]Side-Mount SDHLV[/ame]

 

[Shadow Addict]

Oh and you want a sidemount for Orbiter? Here you go -> Side-Mount SDHLV

:OOOOO

I'd seen a video of this before I left, but he said at the time he didn't have any plans for releasing it! Damn this has been a great night for the nerd in me, finding DF2010 and the sidemount addon.

 

[IronRain]

I like the side-mount, but is that going to be the new NASA heavy lifter??

 

[Urwumpe]

I like the side-mount, but is that going to be the new NASA heavy lifter??

No. The topic "Heavy-Lift" is currently terminated. The justification for it is gone, and the goal is finding a more economic and feasible solution, which implies that any future heavy-lift solution will not be like Ares V or Sidemount at all. Maybe medium-lift will even grow to replace the classic heavy-lift segment.

 

[Mojave]

I, unfortunately, have never seen a space shuttle launch at Cape Canaveral. I thought about why they are ending the shuttle missions. There is not a reason to keep it going. The ISS is almost complete, and we will not have to send heavy payloads up to the ISS. So I will be sad on the day of its last launch. sob, sob, sob,

 

[T.Neo]

Maybe medium-lift will even grow to replace the classic heavy-lift segment.

Would that not make it heavy lift in it's own right?

 

[Izack]

The ISS program also gets significant increases in support of its extension to 2020.

Extension to 2020? Whooo!!
/punches air
Actually I'm surprised I didn't see that. :blink:

 

[Zatnikitelman]

Would that not make it heavy lift in it's own right?

Perhaps, but currently, a "heavy" launch vehicle is considered one which can launch around 25 tonnes into LEO which means the Falcon 9, DeltaIV Heavy, Atlas V Heavy, Ariane V, and the Space Shuttle. He's saying that we set a new standard of heavyweight which would push "medium" up to 25 tonnes.

 

[Urwumpe]

Would that not make it heavy lift in it's own right?

No. Heavy and medium are just arbitrary classes, without any solid absolute definition. Typically, a medium launcher is capable of lifting an average communications satellite to GTO. Launchers who can't even lift a small communication satellite to GTO, are light. launchers who could even lift more than two extreme heavy satellites into GTO (2x12 tons today, equivalent about 50 tons to LEO) would be heavy.

The medium launch segment is, where about 90% of all commercial launchers are in, heavy and light currently cover the rest.

(Delta IV Heavy and Atlas V Heavy are still only medium, the shuttle is heavy, since it lifts 120 tons to LEO)

 

[T.Neo]

So this is only dependant on the average payload to LEO of commercial launchers?

 

[ar81]

To me, the only "end of an era" means the end of LEO and finally thinking about going a bit higher. You do not see ion and plasma engine programs being scrapped, since they seem to be the future, which means that orbinauts will have to make addons and MFDs to make longer low thrust trips and develop techniques for low thrust maneuvering.

It means no flights for some time. But in a time of economic constraints making the best use of money seems a must. I think that space shuttle program was a political thing. Shuttle existed to go to ISS and ISS existed so shuttle could have a destination. Beautiful birds, but what a waste of money!

If you attach a plasma engine to ISS, you could bump it up when needed, and also you could change orbit inclination to make it usable as a first stop for resupply/refuel for interplanetary trips. The good news is that ISS produces hydrogen as waste, and that's exactly what plasma engine needs as propellant.

Because hydrogen is so light, as I can see it, plasma can be used for longer trips in human history. The main problem will be medical, to protect humans from radiation in deep space outside of Earth magnetic field, and to deal with bone mass loss, among other problems.

With ion engines instead of wasting mercury from power plants into the Hudson river and eating it when you eat fish, mercury could be used as propellant for ion engines. So every bit of poisoning mercury could be valuable for space industry.

Both ion and plasma engines are low thrust engines. It seems the time for orbiter developers to stay ahead of this new era.

In the meantime I can see jobs for people in space, collecting space junk (we may even find the all mighty probe).

You bet I would sign-up for a job up there, hanging on the back of the space garbage truck... :lol::rofl: