Wow, here we go again!
Look, whether or not Obama gets his buget approved by congress he has at least brought light to a failed an woefully underfunded program. I liked the VSE as originally envisioned but let's face it, NASA has been ignored and neglected since "Return to Flight." Combine that with some very poor dicisions by former Admin Griffin in the arcitecture chosen. Griffin forced NASA to accept what was probably the MOST expensive plan at the expense of a very successfull unmaned program and alomost everything else in NASA's portfolio (i.e. tech research, aeronautics ect.).
Who can really say that in order to become a true space fairing spieces instead of a space visiting spiecies we don't need private industry in space and making money with HSF (Human Space Flight)? THIS IS NOT THE END OF HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT! It is a new begining! With R&D into real and enabling technologies likë:
-In space fuel transer and long term storage.
-In space propulsion like VASMIR and other cutting edge techs.
-Greater long term effects-on-the-human-body studied.
-Restarting the Energy Dept making fuel for RTGs and possible starting
Project Prometheus again which is needed if we are to seriously go anywere past the moon.
-Greater international co-operation (because we the U.S. couldn't pay for it all ourselves).
Now, why would we want to trade all that for another "flags and footpints", "Apollo on Steroids" program where we simply burn $$ and stay stagnent in technology?
I agree that NASA should have some sort of manned launcher and not rely solely on the private sector and I hope the Side-Mount Shuttle is that compromise. But to make such hyperbolic statments like "this is the end of NASA or manned space flight"does a disservice in advancing the debate and makes you look like a fool.
And for those of you who think the private sector is not up to the task just look at Bigelow Aerospace. They have TWO working inflatable habitat test articles on orbit and will likey be a second costumer to private manned launch whether that launch provider is LockMart or SpaceX or whoever.
Obama HAS shown vision, intellegence and guts in persuing this new course. Lets stop tring to re-live the glory days of Apollo and actually move on!
