NASA FISO Telecon: An Overview of NASA’s Evolvable Mars Campaign
“Our next Future In-Space Operations (FISO) telecon colloquium will be June 10, when Doug Craig (NASA HQ HEOMD) will speak on “An Overview of NASA’s Evolvable Mars Campaign.” As always, the colloquium will be at 3pm ET. And please note that there is a new dial-in number for the colloquium as NASA has migrated to a new service: TEL: 844 467 4685 PC: 442398.”
Keith’s note: If you go to NASA’s Journey to Mars page there is no mention of this NASA-sponsored, openly-accessible telecon regarding a NASA study of how the agency might go to Mars. There is no mention of this telecon on NASA’s calendar either – nor is there mention on NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations home page, or NASA Goddard’s home page (where telecon organizer Harley Thronson works). NASA is all about the #JourneyToMars thing 24/7/365 according to Charlie Bolden and it is mentioned in virtually every press release the agency issues these days. NASA is telling everyone that it is headed to Mars yet it can’t even figure out how to tell the public about openly accessible events like this? You know, how NASA might actually do this whole exciting Mars thing?
– How NASA Quietly Releases Alternate Mars Mission Concepts (Update), earlier post
– Yet Another Stealth NASA Briefing On Mars Mission Concepts, earlier post
My wife who is not into space at all, said she heard on the news how nasa had a second flying saucer fail. She said if they are not careful the public is going to think they can’t do anything.
That’s because the public doesn’t understand what’s going on. The regime in which they’re trying to operate the parachute is not a regime friendly to parachutes.
I agree, I was just pointing out, my observation of a member of the “public” after hearing news reports of such tests. I didn’t hear the report myself.
You are correct about one thing: certainly the news media knows nothing about space either. And that being the case, instead of reporting progress on some terrific research, they report the ‘failure’.
That appeared to be the case.
It was certainly supersonic when the chute deployed, but what was the speed? What happened to the vehicle? What was the goal of the inflatable heat shield, which appeared to function properly?
Failure occurs at 5:31
https://youtu.be/7ksgMkDeLoM
Indeed. That parachute research is damn exciting, operating in new regimes that are certain to show failure early-on.
FISO is simply a forum for people who think they are working the manned Mars landing effort to let people know what they are working on.
Fact is that as near as can be seen, NASA has no plan and no strategy; they lack focus. There is no leadership. It starts at the top with Obama but in the past the NASA leaders actually were establishing strategies and plans in order to make certain efforts today would contribute to the program tomorrow. At least up through station, there was always a plan in mind of what to do now and what to work on next.
But the current NASA is leaderless. No plan, no strategy. No one knows for sure what to focus on now because they do not know what is to come later. You can voice your complaints about the President and about Congress, but the problem is every bit as much internal to NASA, I am hoping that Dava Newman will be permitted to offer some direction because she has specialized in this for decades and has a network of clear thinkers and strategists. The other current top NASA leadership is in over their heads. They have been content to offer essentially nothing for the last 10 years and to bide their time in their fun and ‘cushy’ positions while they waste NASA/taxpayer money and time.
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The presentation provided a review of current plans for human flight to Mars, including several alternative strategies and the role of conferences and inputs from industry.