With the whole Russia/Georgia conflict. NASA will have trouble getting the required congressional waiver to purchase rides to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard Russian craft. If you want background as to why NASA needs congressional waiver check out the Houston Chronicle article. The Space Shuttle is to be retired in 2010 after completion of the ISS. The Orion spacecraft that is to replace the shuttle just got pushed back another 6 months or so and is not slated to start operations until 2016.
This potential gap in the American manned space program could be catastrophic. If we have a 5 year gap in our manned program it's possible we will never get it back. That will mean the dream of a return to the Moon and a mission to Mars will forever remain just dreams. Even if Congress gives the go ahead to buy flights what happens the next time Russia acts up?
If we end up with no way of getting to the International Space Station, what a major fuck up. Imagine building a dream home with some friends on an island. But you were the one who put most of the work in getting it built. Meeting with contractors, putting in most amount of time and money, and of course everyone used your barge to get the materials there. Then one day your wife insists that you retire that old barge it costs too much to maintain and is falling apart. She says after a few years of not throwing money at that barge you will have enough to buy a great new speedboat. You're great friends with Vlad and Catherine and you can hitch a ride on their boat. Vlad takes you back and forth on his boat until one day he accuses you of looking at Catherine the wrong way and throws you off his boat. Then while sitting on the shore staring at your home you see Vlad and all your other buddies having a grand old time and all you think is "what the fuck? That is my place. I spent the most money and I can't enjoy it?" That is what can happen to NASA.
A lot of this is NASA's own fault. The Russians first launched Soyuz in late 1968. It's still up and running and in its 5th generation. The Space Shuttle was first launched in 1981 and is too expensive to maintain. It is on its last leg with retirement set for 2010. Instead of building upon what it already knew, NASA had to recreate the wheel and the new wheel isn't as good as the old one. NASA looks like it has learned from its mistakes with the new Constellation Project that will create the Orion spacecraft and Aries rockets. They are simpler and build upon shuttle and previous programs technologies.
You might ask why even go into space?
The manned space program (aside from military conflicts) is the only government program that brings Americans and well the whole world together. When Apollo reached the moon and Mercury reached orbit Americans saw what our nation could accomplish if we dedicated ourselves. It showed the world that America was at the cutting edge of science of engineering. At the same time it inspired a generation of children to become scientists and engineers. Today we desperately need more homegrown scientists and engineers. The manned space program is America at its best. Without it we lose that glowing beacon that leads us into the future.
What's the reason to go back to the moon? They have any oil up there? ;)
Posted by: Matt | September 04, 2008 at 01:43 PM