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During the hearing, which was led by lawmakers noting it was ironic the failure came one month after the final shuttle mission \u2013 with the STS-135 crew in attendance at the hearing \u2013 the root cause of the Soyuz problem was noted by Mr Gerstenmaier as related to a low fuel feed to the gas generator \u2013 caused by contamination \u2013 resulting in the Upper Stage engine failure.<\/p>\n
With confirmation the Russians have been cooperative and forthcoming with NASA with regard to the failure investigation \u2013 with Mr Gerstenmaier adding they were given overviews first hand, consisting of detailed data, allowing Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) engineers to conduct a background check which resulted in agreement with the Russian findings \u2013 questions turned towards the eventual end of the reliance on Soyuz vehicles.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/B31.jpg\" "\\"Image")
Questions remain on the schedule of handing over to the commercial fleet for US independence \u2013 with dates ranging between 2015 and 2017 \u2013 although it was stressed by Mr Gerstenmaier the commercial partners are aware they should only fly only when they are ready to fly.<\/p>\nFunding remains the key element of the commercial schedule, while NASA\u2019s two main partners, SpaceX and Orbital, are also working through what was described as \u201cnormal start-up transients\u201d \u2013 referencing Orbital\u2019s major work at their launch site at Wallops, and SpaceX\u2019s unspecified software issues.<\/p>\n
Space Shuttle
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From a cargo perspective, the ISS isn\u2019t racing against deadlines, partly due to the support of other vehicles, such as Europe\u2019s ATV and Japan\u2019s HTV, but also because the final flights of the Shuttle provided the orbital outpost with enough supplies to last until the end of the next calendar year.<\/p>\n
Despite this, one lawmaker posed the question on the viability of restarting the shuttle program.<\/p>\n
Shuttle Restart:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/A612.jpg\" "\\"Aerial")
While General Stafford correctly identified the long pole was the restart of External Tank production at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) \u2013 citing a period of two years (as much as claims have been made it would take 18 months) until the tanks reached their flow points to support missions \u2013 Admiral Dyer was dismissive, claiming this had been previously looked into and that the question would have only been \u201cinteresting\u201d if it had been asked three or four years ago.<\/p>\nThis wasn\u2019t a surprising response from the head of the ASAP, who has been steadfast in his opposition to all additional shuttle missions, even the ones which were praised for leaving the ISS in the current acceptable logistics state.<\/p>\n
However, a more expansive explanation \u2013 at least from a post-retirement standpoint \u2013 was forthcoming via the ASAP 2011 Third Quarterly Report, acquired by this site, which quoted an exchange between Scott Spencer, Transportation Management Consultant and co-author of an open letter to the NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, with the ASAP board.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/B52.jpg\" "\\"Image")
The letter, co-authored by Christopher Kraft, former Director of NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Center, and endorsed by Space Shuttle astronauts Robert Crippen and Frederick Hauck; Apollo astronauts Neil Armstrong, James Lovell, and Eugene Cernan; the former Director of Mission Operations and Flight Director, Gene Kranz; and other space industry experts, expressed concerns with the Space Shuttle fleet\u2019s retirement from ISS operations.<\/p>\nAs noted in the ASAP report, the letter noted concerns with the inability to make repair spacewalks to restore safe and reliable operations if an incident rendered the ISS uninhabitable; and an uncontrolled, catastrophic reentry (with risks to populated areas around the world and the attendant ramifications to foreign relations) from an abandoned ISS.<\/p>\n
Ironically, the letter was written before the Soyuz failure and the potential decrew situation.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/linktoarticlestopleechingheh1.gif\" "\\"linktoarticlestopleechingheh1\\"")
\u201cMr Spencer stated that the Space Shuttle fleet is the only spacecraft that is equipped with the airlocks, life support supplies, and robotic arm needed to support the required two-person spacewalking repair crew,\u201d noted the ASAP report into his comments.<\/p>\n\u201cHe noted that the letter\u2019s authors and endorsers also believe that the loss of the ISS would destroy the commercial viability of commercial cargo and crew, which is essential for the U.S. return to manned spaceflight if the Shuttles are retired. Keeping the Space Shuttles in service would maintain vital backup contingency for possible risks to U.S. manned spaceflight and the ISS business for the emerging commercial space industry.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/B21.jpg\" "\\"Image")
\u201cIn addition, the letter recommended establishing a new, internationally accepted flight safety criterion: Any object in orbit that is too large for an uncontrolled reentry must have a spacecraft available to support independent extravehicular activity (EVA) repairs.<\/p>\n\u201cWith regard to costs associated with the Shuttle fleet, he contended that use of private capital would make it financially and technically feasible to reverse the retirement of the Shuttles and restore U.S. manned spaceflight capabilities in as little as 18 months.\u201d<\/p>\n
As such, Mr Spencer requested that the ASAP issue an immediate recommendation for NASA, Congress, and the White House to reverse the decision to retire the Space Shuttles. This request received a negative response from Admiral Dyer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the Panel\u2019s opinion, there was a time for this debate, but it has passed. In the latter part of the last decade, the ASAP highlighted in its reports to both Congress and the NASA Administrator that if the Shuttle\u2019s continuation beyond the planned retirement was to be discussed, the subject needed to be taken up at that time \u2013 not only because of knowledge loss, but especially for the second and third tier suppliers of piece parts and critical components, which have now been out of business \u2013 well over three years in many cases.<\/p>\n
Click here to read further coverage on Shuttle Extension: http:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/tag\/extension\/<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/A522.jpg\" "\\"A522\\"")
\u201cVADM Dyer noted that the Panel understood Mr Spencer\u2019s message and what he highlighted, but in the Panel\u2019s opinion, the time has passed for implementing Shuttle\u2019s continuation.\u201d<\/p>\nIn response, Mr Spencer stated that that issue was addressed before the letter was written and endorsed, and it was confirmed that the ability to reconstitute and return Shuttle to flight could be accomplished safely and successfully in about 18 months. That would be a faster return-to-flight than what is anticipated for commercial alternatives. He agreed that there would be a delay, but opined that it would not be technically insurmountable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Turning to safety \u2013 an issue which Admiral Dyer went on the record to cite concerns about when sat alongside then NASA administrator Mike Griffin at the 2009 House hearing to discuss the initial findings of the Augustine Review into the forward path for Human Space Flight \u2013 Mr Spencer was questioned on his evaluations into safe flight.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/B41.jpg\" "\\"Image")
\u201cMr Spencer noted that the Shuttle\u2019s ability to continue to fly safely is not without risk. However, in his opinion, the safety of the subsequent spacecraft will not be determined until they pass a 100-flight threshold themselves. In terms of relative risk, tradeoffs would have to be accepted,\u201d the notes recorded.<\/p>\n\u201cHe felt that the potentially uncontrolled ISS reentry threat to populated areas around the world is an unacceptable risk. Even if the ISS remains safely in orbit after being abandoned, the hearing and review boards that would result would criticize NASA\u2019s decision to leave the ISS without any way of being restored.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Spencer also noted that the late call to continue shuttle operations came in part due to the lack of an EVA capability being seen on any of the future vehicles, something he felt no one specifically discussed this before Congress or the ISS partners. Mr Spencer also claimed the ISS was designed and built to be operated, maintained, and de-orbited with the support of the Shuttle\u2019s capability.<\/p>\n
It was then noted that plans have been in work for the commercial operation of the Shuttle. These plans have been very secretive due to the investor-related nature of such proposals, although it appears Mr Spencer and his co-authors had been made aware \u2013 likely the reason for the passionate pro-shuttle return comments from former Apollo commander Gene Cernan at a recent hearing when he claimed the shuttle was in the prime of its life.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/A86.jpg\" "\\"A86\\"")
\u201cPlans for commercial operation of Space Shuttles have been proposed, but they were never presented to Congress,\u201d Mr Spencer was noted as claiming. \u201cOne aspect is the use of private capital and revenue from countries that would want to have space-faring capabilities, which would ultimately neutralize the additional budget that would be required to fly the Shuttles.<\/p>\n\u201cInterest is already being expressed from capital sources who say that with a 20- to 30-year flight service agreement, a significant amount of private capital could be funded to reconstitute the Shuttle program and its operations and minimize the impact on the NASA budget. When safety is at stake, cost is a lower issue to consider in the criteria.\u201d<\/p>\n
ASAP appeared to be unaware of such plans and asked Mr Spencer for further information, to which he noted one example, which related to the United Space Alliance (USA) looking at about $1.5B per year for at least two Shuttle flights per year, as well as a Shuttle being available for launch-on-need capability.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/A77.jpg\" "\\"A77\\"")
He added that at least $500M would be required up front to restart the parts and tanking line, that private capital could put these funds into place to supplement NASA\u2019s effort, although he wasn\u2019t able to say specifically what return-on-investment rate would be required for investors. However, in the discussions that USA had, they were satisfied with the business case.<\/p>\nNotably, the United Space Alliance were not party to Mr Spencer\u2019s letter and no recent news has been heard on any progression to the commercial shuttle effort.<\/p>\n
With Endeavour now signed over to her retirement home in California, Discovery\u2019s wings effectively clipped by the decommissioning of her OMS Pods and the effort to remove Main Propulsion System (MPS) hardware for use on the Space Launch System (SLS), it is likely the question from lawmakers on Wednesday was the last time it will be asked.<\/p>\n
To read about Atlantis and her sisters \u2013 from birth, processing, every single mission, through to retirement, click here for the links:
\nhttp:\/\/forum.nasaspaceflight.com\/index.php?topic=25837.0<\/p>\nClick here for the amazing MaxQ Entertainment STS-135 Mission Review Music Video:
\nhttp:\/\/forum.nasaspaceflight.com\/index.php?topic=26178.0<\/p>\n(Images: L2 (animation via L2 sequence set), NASA, USA and Hearing Webcast).<\/p>\n
(To join L2, click here: http:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/l2\/)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
During Wednesday\u2019s Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee Hearing \u2013 which focused on the Russian investigation into their recent Soyuz failure \u2013 the question on restarting shuttle was once again dismissed out of hand. However, the shrift response, noting the question would have been \u201cinteresting\u201d if asked three or four years ago, failed to elaborate on a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[9157,513,7900,7779,9022],"class_list":["post-40304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-extension","tag-progress","tag-russian","tag-shuttle","tag-tr"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40304"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40304"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40304\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}