Big Announcement at KSC With Pence?
Mike Pence will visit Cape Canaveral next month for a big space update, Orlando Weekly
“Vice President Mike Pence will visit NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral next month to announce the first astronaut crews under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, according to sources familiar with the matter. Pence, who chairs the National Space Council, will confirm a new launch date for the first private crew missions and announce which crew capsules each of the four selected astronauts will ride in to the International Space Station.”
I said to myself that I would never again watch Pence and his NASA is not great. But this is tempting. Maybe.
White House to announce that the Deep Space Gateway will be renamed the Trumpgate to prevent other uses for that term.
I’m only interested if Pence says Congress needs to cancel SLS so that NASA can use commercial launches for its beyond LEO needs.
It’s hard to blame the Administration. They want good news wherever they can find it. Even if manufactured.
The more I follow the space industry the more disillusioned I become.
wow .. disillusioned with what has been happening with commercial space the last 15 years and the amount of capital that has been increasing invested every year?
I would think it would be the exact opposite.
Vlad: Generally you and I are on the same space-page, and I suspect we are here, too, if only I were a little clearer in making my point
You are correct pointing out the successes of commercial space. I’m disturbed by the Blowhard Index more than anything I guess. Folks with an enviable record rarely find need to advertise same.
What is with this “suspense” for “a big announcement?” Seems to me Pence will name first astronaut crews and launch dates, but this can be done on a NASA press release. I guess they want drama by having the VP do it by voice.
They do, or he does?
I wonder if by that time, NASA will be able to come up with definite safety criteria for SpaceX and Boeing?! And if so, will the result be to push launches by those two companies far enough behind SLS/Orion to justify the continued existence of that piece of…ah…hardware!
Maybe if they drag out commercial crew long enough they will be able to kill it and use Orion and a downsize version of SLS to service the ISS. It would only cost twice a much as a Shuttle launch to it ?
Um…We already know who the first crews are. What a dumb manufactured photo op. You all elected these people…
Not entirely. We know the four astronauts, but there aren’t any specific assignments yet. They are all training for both Dragon 2 and Starliner. We don’t know if Williams will be assigned to the Dragon flight or if Hurley will be. Admittedly, that’s not big news, and I doubt anything substantial concerning launch dates will be mentioned. But it’s at least a little new content to go along with the photo op. We’ve definitely see worse.
Correct. The first cadre to be assigned to specific missions, along with Ferguson from Boeing.
No, we do not. They announced a cadre, from which the first couple of crews will be taken from. We do not know what the composition of the first two crews will be, except that the first Boeing crew will include Chris Ferguson (from Boeing, not NASA).