Space/Science — HabitableZone

Space/Science » in reply to Then You Haven't Looked

CATS
Gary — (archived)

I agree with everything that Mark just said. It's nice having Mark around because he's good at beating the drum for Mars exploration/colonization.

Mark made an important point that I should reemphasize:

"My major dissappointment with Bush's plan is its seeming abandonment of CATS. Given that lapse of strategic thinking it is no surprise that somehow the relative importance on Mars and the Moon also got fouled up. I see the Moon becoming the next LEO/ISS with hundreds of billions spent for little return or technological advancement. The Apollo program pushed technology by pushing the envelope. Returning to the Moon to stay does little to push the envelope after decades of space stations and already having been there. "

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The technological problem of Cheap Access To Space (CATS) is killing Space Exploration. Getting from Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to anywhere in the Solar System is relatively easy, e.g. use nuclear electric propulsion such as proposed for Prometheus. However getting from the ground to LEO has stumped many of mankind's sharpest aeronautical engineers. With the Space Shuttle, we took three steps forward towards CATS and then two steps backwards. With Bush's plan we are abandoning Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) technology and throwing what we learned from the Space Shuttle into the trash can (much like we did with the Saturn V after abandoning Apollo). If the CEV technology used for Bush's plan prohibits Mars return due to design limitations (simple reuse of Apollo CM technology) then Bush's plan will not go beyond the Moon and fail when people again grow bored with the Moon. IMHO, Bush's plan as it stands is a prescription for termination of the Space Program (we are not "advancing anywhere"). What compounds my frustration is Kerry didn't have any Space Exploration plan to speak of or at "best" a hidden agenda to simply terminate the Space Program. As Space Advocates during this last election our choices were between instant death versus very slow death.

Gary

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