NASA Studies Fuel Depots – But Won't Brief Congress On Them

NASA Still Studying Space-Based Fuel Depots, Aviation Week
“Michael Gazarik, NASA’s space technology program director, says that CPST and the Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket currently under development are complementary technologies. “To explore deep space we need a heavy-lift vehicle — SLS — and we need this technology. We need to be able to demonstrate how to handle cryogenic fluids in space.” The CPST project is being led by NASA’s Office of the Chief Technologist, which was set up by the Obama administration to develop technologies that will be needed regardless of the final exploration architectures the U.S. space community hammers out. The depot-demonstration mission will serve any of them, Gazarik says.”
– Update on NASA’s Hidden Fuel Depot Studies
– NASA Studies Show Cheaper Alternatives to SLS, earlier post
– Fuel Depots and Congress, earlier post
– In-Space Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer Demonstration Mission Concept Studies, 2011, NASA GRC, earlier post
– Using Commercial Launchers and Fuel Depots Instead of HLVs, earlier post
– The HLV Cost Information NASA Decided Not To Give To Congress, earlier post