Obama Speaks

[anemazoso]

President Obama will address his new space plan from KSC today at 3:00pm EST. The speach will be broadcast on NASA TV.

 

[Urwumpe]

President Obama will address his new space plan from KSC today at 3:00pm EST. The speach will be broadcast on NASA TV.

Aw. That is in the middle of the night for me. At least I can watch a nice colorful volcanic sunset before that.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Air Force One has just landed at the SLF.

 

[T.Neo]

Air Force One has just landed at the SLF.

That's awesome.

RWY 33 or RWY 13?

 

[IronRain]

Aw. That is in the middle of the night for me. At least I can watch a nice colorful volcanic sunset before that.

Well it's not really in the middle of the night. It's at 9:00 PM for us

 

[DaveS]

That's awesome.

RWY 33 or RWY 13?

RWY15. RWY13/31 is the CCAFS skid-strip.

 

[Lucy]

This is also being streamed on Orbiter Radio, for those interested.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

Obama just announced:
. A new HLV will be developed by 2015.
. There will be a crewed mission to an asteroid in 2025.
. After that, we will go on to Mars & it's Moons.

I know a lot of people are sceptical of this, but I have only one thing to say:
AWESOME!!! I want in!!!!

 

[Ghostrider]

Who's this guy and what has he done to the real Obama?

 

[anemazoso]

Although I am a huge supporter of Pres Obama and also the gerneral outline of his new plan I found his speech lacking. I was hoping to hear they would add a couple more flights to the shuttle program to quiet the nay-sayers down in Titusville as well as more specifics on techlology research. I also wanted to hear about more destinations and sooner. 2025 is a long way off and I would bet a months worth of my paychecks the plan changes with the next admin.

One very good thing though I think came out of this is the attention human space flight is getting and the fact that a US Pres is adding his voice to help provide the rationale of continued and expanded exploration. When was the last time there was this much attention sans a catastrophic failure?

 

[N_Molson]

I think this plan can work IF Obama is re-elected... Else, as you said, the plan will probably be changed again.

The idea of a manned mission to an asteroïd seems very interesting. A cool idea of add-on for Orbiter anyway :thumbup:

The heavy-lift rocket project is very interesting too. But yes, the speech lacked of details at this point.

In my opinion, keeping the Orion capsule as a back-up is essential. Because if there was a catastrophic failure with a Soyuz vehicle in the next years, and without the Shuttle, the ISS would really be in trouble...

 

[Kyle]

Well atleast we have a goal and a firm destination now. HLV finalized NO LATER than 2015 (thats the deadline for HLV to be developed, not the year, so it actually might be finalized sooner) Orion to ISS as crew rescue ASAP. NASA to work in tandem with Commercial to develop new propulsion, ways to protect astronauts, ect. 100 million dollars to be given to the KSC area to save jobs post-shuttle. Asteroid by 2025, Mars in 2030's.

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

So, now we have a goal, a way to get there, and the resources to do it.

Mr. President, I am converted. I now back your plan 100%!
:speakcool: :woohoo: :10sign:

 

[PhantomCruiser]

I liked what I heard in the speech as well, although I've worked for the government for far too long to take things at face value (plans within plans). Even if Obama isn't re-elected, I think this is a workable timeline and a good set of goals.
I would still like to go back to the moon though.

 

[N_Molson]

I don't really worry about the Moon, because if a vehicle able to reach Mars is developed, flying to the Moon will be easy and cheap in comparison (less Dv required, no need for a heat shield/parachutes for the lander, and so on...)

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

BBC News: "Obama sets Mars goal for America".

 

[Urwumpe]

Who's this guy and what has he done to the real Obama?

The LHC must have opened a rift into the mirror universe.

 

[rucinter]

I don't get it, how is this better than going to the Moon in 2020 and to Mars in 2025? And don't tell me that Constellation was not "on a sustainable trajectory" because I'm sure that in 1962 Apollo wasn't on a realistic/sustainable trajectory either.
I haven't seen the press conference, but I can bet that the new HLV will be unmanned and based on current boosters that lift the shuttle. So, instead of using Orion to go the Moon, they will use it unnamed and attached to ISS. Wow, that must be extremely useful and also cool, I'm sure that ISS lacks another escape pod now.

 

[Hielor]

So wait, we cancelled the HLV that was already designed and are starting with a new one?

Did I miss something?

 

[Orbinaut Pete]

So wait, we cancelled the HLV that was already designed and are starting with a new one?

Did I miss something?

We don't know that it will be an entirely new HLV - it could contain elements of Ares V.