- \n
- Augustine Forum Section<\/li>\n
- L2 Extension Section<\/li>\n
- L2 Ares\/HLV\/Orion Sections<\/li>\n
- Click here to Join L2<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
While the loss of Ares I has not come as a complete surprise, the entire cancellation of the Constellation Program (CxP) \u2013 including the HLV Ares V and the crew transport Orion \u2013 gave the impression that NASA\u2019s lead role with Human Space Flight will come to a close when the final shuttle lands (currently STS-133).<\/p>\n
This led to SSP manager John Shannon admitting there is \u201ca great deal of angst and hysteria\u201d within the space agency, although he believes this is unjustified.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere has been a lot of talk about the budget and the Constellation Program. However, for SOMD (Space Operations Mission Directorate), the news was positive. The ISSP (International Space Station Program) has been extended to 2020. A great deal of money has been focused on science and research expansion onboard the ISS,\u201d noted Mr Shannon on a recent Shuttle Standup\/Integration report (L2).<\/p>\n
\u201cThe SSP now has access to $600 million of additional funds, which will allow for the final flights being pushed out through the end of calendar year 2010, if necessary. The NASA top line was also increased, representing a vote of confidence for the job we do.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThere has been a great deal of angst and hysteria, but everyone needs to simply calm down and allow the process to work. It will take some time for the plan to evolve, so we must be patient. There is a great deal of work that must be accomplished over the next year to execute the remaining flights safely and complete the manifest.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe SSP Team will participate in developing all of the upcoming plans, as we finish this phase of NASA\u2019s work.\u201d<\/p>\n
SSP transition to \u201cGame Changing\u201d HLV:<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/02\/A222.jpg\" "\\"A2\\"")
As was seen with the heavy SSP involvement with both the side-mount and in-line HLV alternatives to Ares V \u2013 via a study that was called for by General Bolden himself \u2013 Mr Shannon noted SSP\u2019s continued involvement with the new \u201cgame changing\u201d HLV, although it is currently unclear as to what elements of the shuttle hardware would transition to the new HLV.<\/p>\n\u201cThere are a number of technology options being worked that will utilize Shuttle components. NASA has already reached out to various contractors regarding this topic,\u201d Mr Shannon added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is exciting stuff, and more will be released soon. For now, keep doing what you are doing. The Shuttle Team\u2019s execution of the mission, in concert with the ISS Team, is providing stability to the Agency. It is needed at this point in time and truly demonstrates NASA\u2019s competencies to our country and our lawmakers.\u201d<\/p>\n
Documented notes are already being produced on the new HLV, via what is being called a TDA effort, run by the same team that worked on the side-mount and in-line HLV studies.<\/p>\n
\u201cTechnology Development Activity (NASA\/JSC): Formerly known as the Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (HLV) Team, (SSP HLV team leader) now leads the Technology Development Activity. Close out planning is ongoing. A road show is being developed to document the HLV work and future ideas,\u201d opened notes on the new HLV effort, acquired by L2.<\/p>\n
\u201cA Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (HLV) documentation plan has been created. This will include existing Shuttle hardware and new technology that could be demonstrated on the ISS. A total of 15 items are expected. These will be reviewed with Mr. Shannon.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/02\/a3.jpg\" "\\"a3\\"")
Sources note that the \u201cnew technology\u201d that could be demonstrated on the ISS relates to the Variable Specific Impulse Magnetoplasma Rocket (VASIMR) engine, which would be tested by aiding the ISS altitude control \u2013 such as reboosts.<\/p>\nThe engine \u2013 otherwise know as an Electro-thermal Plasma Thruster or Electro-thermal Magnetoplasma engine \u2013 uses radio waves to ionize and to heat propellant and magnetic fields to accelerate the resulting plasma to generate thrust. However, due to the power requirements at the ISS, the engine will only be put through minimal testing.<\/p>\n
It has been previously intimated that the engine may fly on a late shuttle flight, although a manifest stretch would be required to fit into a near-viable timeline \u2013 or of course via an extension for the shuttle program.<\/p>\n
Shuttle Extension:<\/p>\n
The possibility of extending the shuttle manifest remains technically possible, but continues to lack support from the leadership of NASA.<\/p>\n
This week\u2019s Senate and Congressional hearings once again heard the NASA administrator position himself in opposition to an extension \u2013 mainly by citing the costs involved, even though he classed the $9 billion invested into the cancelled Constellation Program \u2013 potentially less than it would cost to extend shuttle to 2015 \u2013 as a \u201cgood investment\u201d.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/02\/A416.jpg\" "\\"A4\\"")
General Bolden \u2013 who has flown on the shuttle \u2013 also made a reference to the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) report, which cited a need to recertify the fleet in the event of an extension, due to safety concerns. This is directly in contradiction to SSP manager Mr Shannon, who has twice gone on the record to refute the ASAP requirement by noting the recertification work that has taken place on the fleet after the Columbia disaster.<\/p>\n\u201cThere were some disturbing remarks from the head of the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP). We are working to understand these concerns from a Shuttle risk standpoint,\u201d Mr Shannon in reaction to the initial ASAP report. \u201cWe are flying safer now, and have a better safety culture and integrated team approach with many checks and balances to ensure that we are flying as safely as absolutely possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is highly questionable as to why General Bolden would cite the ASAP report on shuttle extension \u2013 in contradiction to his own managers \u2013 whilst dismissing the majority of the ASAP findings that were made in the same report, findings which supported Ares I and held grave misgivings about crew safety in relation to commercial vehicles.<\/p>\n
However, Wednesday\u2019s Senate hearing gave the opportunity to an Orbiter Project manager \u2013 Mike Snyder \u2013 to speak to the lawmakers about the shuttle from the standpoint of being deeply involved with the vehicles, allowing for a rare occasion for the internal feelings of the shuttle program to be externally vented, without the constraints managers are tied to when speaking to the media from an official position.<\/p>\n
\u201cContributing to the workforce dilemma is the arbitrary 2010 retirement date of the Space Shuttle that is now upon us and all the consequences that brings. Those of us who have worked on this program for the last several years obviously knew the end of the Shuttle era was coming,\u201d Mr Snyder noted in his opening statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had hoped that we could \u201cpass the torch\u201d onto a follow-on program, but now, it looks more like we are simply extinguishing it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Space Shuttle\u2019s main reason for existence and its primary mission was the construction and periodic resupply of a space station. By the end of this year, that mission will still only be partially complete. It would be far easier to stand down this unique capability if there were other vehicles ready to fill the void Shuttle retirement will surely create.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/02\/A58.jpg\" "\\"A5\\"")
Mr Snyder stole the show during the question and answer session, when he turned around a stale question from the Senator Nelson into a statement about his confidence in the shuttle\u2019s safety and capability, which will be lost at a time the International Space Station is due to hit full utilization.<\/p>\n\u201cWe\u2019re looking at a significant strategic mistake by shutting down the space shuttle before we need to. The Space Station is up there now, we\u2019re going to be relying on the Russians for an unspecified period of time,\u201d Mr Snyder added. \u201cYou heard General Bolden say he wants redundant access \u2013 but when we stand down that fleet, that redundant access is gone and it becomes a foreign monopoly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe shuttle is the most capable vehicle we\u2019ve ever had. I would challenge anyone who would say it\u2019s unsafe. Clearly they do not know what we do \u2013 day in, day out \u2013 to make sure that every mission the fleet is as safe as it could possibly be.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor the sake of the Space Station, all that money we have spent on getting it up there, we can\u2019t just walk away from it until we know how we\u2019re going to support it. Look what happened to the Station during the Columbia RTF phase. We went from three crew to two crew (who were mainly) carrying out maintenance \u2013 just enough to keep the Station operational.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday, the Station has five or six people onboard, with many more labs and much more complex. We have ATVs and HTVs, but they were always meant to be in support of the orbiters, so I can\u2019t logically see how \u2013 if we take the orbiter out of the loop \u2013 we think everything\u2019s going to be fine.<\/p>\n
\u201cUltimately, the commercial providers could eventually get there, but until that time I don\u2019t see how it makes sense to retire shuttle.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasaspaceflight.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/02\/A2101.jpg\" "\\"A210\\"")
Mr Snyder also pointed towards one of the Augustine Committee options based around an extension of the shuttle, and a smooth transition to a Shuttle Derived HLV vehicle \u2013 which arguably would be the least expensive option, provide for retaining key skillsets in the workforce, and close the gap in US manned space flight capability.<\/p>\n\u201cWith the HLVs, clearly if you keep shuttle going, there are some synergies that could certainly help drive down the cost of the HLV and potentially the cost of the shuttle program because you could draw off of (that hardware) and off of that workforce,\u201d he added. *Click here for Mr Snyder\u2019s testimony*<\/p>\n
During the Senate hearing, former astronaut Robert \u2018Hoot\u2019 Gibson also backed the shuttle, citing the 130 flights of the orbiters, four times that of all the other NASA vehicles combined.<\/p>\n
However, lawmakers would need to move at a fast pace to approve an extension, as each passing month threatens a gap in flights \u2013 based on additional flights after the hypothetical STS-137 or STS-138 flights, which have part-built External Tanks available at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As the Heavy Lift Launch Team (HLV) transition from the Shuttle Derived vehicle to a Technology Development Activity (TDA) effort, led by engineers associated with the Space Shuttle Program (SSP), a passionate call to extend the shuttle manifest was made by an Orbiter Project manager a Senate hearing into NASA\u2019s FY2011 budget proposal. Uncertainty and […]<\/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":[9157,9034],"class_list":["post-40858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","tag-extension","tag-hlv"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40858"}],"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=40858"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40858\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}