"Major space policy speech."

It's very disappointing news indeed. I would love to see man walk on mars in my lifetime.

lord lucan wrote: »

This post from a guy on the NASASpaceflight forums sums it up well imo.

JFK "We choose to go to the moon!"

BHO "We choose to uh, build an escape pod."

I believe this view is slightly more apt:

JFK: "We will go to the moon by the time this decade is up"

Bush: "We will go back to the moon and then somehow will be able to go to Mars"

Obama: "We've been to the moon, lets develop emerging technologies that will allow us to go explore solar system"

Beeker wrote: »

Short sighted idiots!:mad:
May our decendents look back and forgive our generation for delaying the inevitable.
As the great Carl Sagan once said " The sky calls to us, if we do not destroy ourselves we will one day venture to the stars".

Somehow I feel that this decision has pushed that day further into the future.:(

Beeker depressed....sulks off to drink some beer:(

Like many here I was initially opposed to this. When I saw the details the choice was obvious. For only a few years of having to rely on Soyuz for trips to the ISS, the US will be able to maintain leadership in space.

This is probably the best decision for spaceflight since JFK's inspirational speech. We might actually get to see humans on astroids and mars now. Did anyone actually think for a second chemical rockets could take us beyond earths orbit?! They simply dont have the specific impulse necessary, thus making them ridiculously impractable. Massive quanities of fuel would be required to get anywhere other than the moon, making them an incredibly expensive, slow and unfeasible method of propulsion.

Finally, since Apollo, NASA will start investing in NEW technologies to get to new places. Constallation/chemical rocketery was never bringing manned spaceflight anywhere other than the moon. It was going to be using technology that was 50 years old. The goal is to open the entire solar system up to fast and affordable manned spaceflight, not simply go back to the moon for a few expensive trips. New space optimised propulsion like multiwatt ion engines that are very fast, amazing specific impulses and other "game-changing technologies" as such, are clearly the way forward. VASIMR also solves the radiation problems associated with manned interplanetary travel. For it a space capable nuclear reactor needs to be developed. Bigalow Transhubs will provide for much greater living space aswell as stronger hulls. Fuel depots are obvious. These and many other technologies are only awaiting proper funding which this plan will provide. Lifting the burden of having to fund and launch rockets to LEO off NASA and onto commersial companies will not only free up a lot of time and funds for NASA to focus on new propulsion technologies, but also eventually make getting into space more affordable.

Constallation was implemented by that idiot bush with no real thought behind it, like most of his decisions. It was heavily underfunded, a date of 2020 was never achievable with out spending huge sums. We will without a doubt get to Mars(and the whole solar system) faster this way.
Its worth noting that NASA has pointed out that a new heavy lift rocket employing newer technologies will actually be developed faster under Obama's plan than Bush's constallation disaster.