Discussion Proposal to keep Shuttles till 2017

[GoForPDI]

I was surprised that this had not been posted here yet, as it is very controversial news. United Space Alliance has proposed that Endeavour and Atlantis be flown on two missions per year till 2017, as private flights.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41397955/ns/technology_and_science-space/

 

[Artlav]

So, some billionaire is going to get a private spaceplane?

 

[Bonanza123d]

this seems interesting. Where will he land it? :lol:

 

[Wonderer]

I think the better question would be:where will they launch the shuttle from?

 

[GoForPDI]

LC-39?

 

[wehaveaproblem]

What would be interesting to see is how much the costs would be slashed by, when the program is controlled by a private-led venture over a state-led one...

Or how quickly they would drop the idea as 'unprofitable'...

 

[Kyle]

Were would private Shuttle missions go? Just ISS? And wouldn't it cost more money to train astronauts out of Houston - will MCC still control shuttle flights? Could multiple companies buy space shuttle missions (SpaceX, Orbital, ect)

 

[N_Molson]

I wonder if that kind of "commercial space service" is not a disguised governement funding... A convenient way to say : "we don't fund the Shuttle program anymore" while its still flying... :hmm:

 

[garyw]

Government won't sell the shuttles to a private firm and it's too late to talk about a shuttle extension as there are no more tanks in production. It'll take at least 2 years to get the production line started again.

 

[T.Neo]

Yes, but are there not still spare completed and partially completed tanks?

 

[garyw]

two or three, yes. They would need a lot of work to make flight ready and the tooling has at best been put into storage or at worst, destroyed.

 

[GoForPDI]

It might just get the ET production back on line for SLS, could spur on sidemount or outboard-inline options.

 

[N_Molson]

2 years... So if they restart the production early in 2015, it is possible.

 

[garyw]

2 years... So if they restart the production early in 2015, it is possible.

Nope. That's just the tanks. There is crew training, Orbiter OMDP, payload handling, software work, launch pad preps, etc, etc.

 

[wehaveaproblem]

Nope. That's just the tanks. There is crew training, Orbiter OMDP, payload handling, software work, launch pad preps, etc, etc.

Presumably there will be a lot of the very skilled, very talented, specialists who will coincidentally be out of a job at about that time...?

I'm just wondering how much of the existing infrastructure, physical and mental could be transferred?

any?


PS. I couldn't help myself...

 

[Kyle]

Government won't sell the shuttles to a private firm and it's too late to talk about a shuttle extension as there are no more tanks in production. It'll take at least 2 years to get the production line started again.

We were lucky as it was getting STS-135 at the last minute.

We're stretching our luck for any missions beyond 135 (even though, theoretically, Endeavour paired with ET-94 in Summer 2012 for 136 'could' be possible - though expensive)

 

[Grover]

why not let the shuttles go and get to a new design? im sure our scientists around the world could improve on the aged design a bit

 

[garyw]

why not let the shuttles go and get to a new design? im sure our scientists around the world could improve on the aged design a bit

Sure. but for what mission?

No point in desiging a rocket if you don't know what you are designing it to do. A mission is needed before a rocket can be built to fit in with that mission profile.

Congress can't make up their mind what they want to do and that leaves NASA aimless.

 

[Hielor]

why not let the shuttles go and get to a new design? im sure our scientists around the world could improve on the aged design a bit

They did, and then it got canned.

 

[T.Neo]

why not let the shuttles go and get to a new design? im sure our scientists around the world could improve on the aged design a bit

The engineering and technology isn't the issue, funding and interest are.