Keith’s note: According to this NASA JSC Mission Management Flight Request, this flight was charted for passengers to “attend and participate in the Constellation SFA Recognition Event activities”. It took off with 11 people who went from JSC to GRC, dropped off 4, and the remaining 7 people flew from GRC to LaRC, had breakfast and then flew back to JSC. Those making the ESMD breakfast run: Dale Thomas, Charlie […]

Constellation Celebration & Recognition Event at NASA LaRC “All Constellation team members are invited to join Dale Thomas, our NASA Constellation Program Manager, Thursday, January 20th for a Constellation LaRC Celebration and Recognition Event in honor of the great accomplishments you’ve made to the program. It will be held in the Reid Center auditorium and starts at 8 am with breakfast (courtesy of the Constellation Program) followed by an All […]

Click on Image to enlarge “Cost and Schedule of Shuttle sidemount compared with HEFT alternatives. This is the only HLV option that meets all legal requirements and fits within the budget and schedule assumptions of HEFT. Data derived from SSP Study NSTS 60583, dated June 8, 2010” HEFT, Lies and Videotape, Paul Spudis, Air & Space “So as Oliver Hardy would say, here’s another fine mess we’ve gotten ourselves into. […]

NASA OIG Letter Regarding Constellation Program and 2010 NASA Authorization Act “The Inspector General Act of 1978 directs Federal Inspectors General to, among other things, “review existing and proposed legislation and regulations relating to programs and operations” of their agencies and to make recommendations “concerning the impact of such legislation or regulations on the economy and efficiency in the administration of programs and operations administered or financed by such establishment.” […]

Exploration Program Status Presentation to the NASA Advisory Council, Doug Cooke * Key Auth Act Direction – The Administrator shall, to the extent practicable, extend or modify existing vehicle development and associated contracts – The initial capability of the core elements, without an upper stage, of lifting payloads weighing between 70 tons and 100 tons into low-Earth orbit – The capability to lift the multipurpose crew vehicle – The capability […]

Human Space Exploration Framework Summary Presentation to the NASA Advisory Council Strategy: 1-Fixed Initial Conditions: Mission to a NEA when Affordable Description: A fixed cost and initial milestone-constrained assessment, consistent with the NASA 2010 Authorization for the DRM 4B (NEA mission) only. Manifest changed to incorporate HLLV test flight. Utilized updated design & cost estimates, that include some lean development options Simple Result Description: Over-constrained. Does not meet all schedule, […]

Keith’s note: Not everyone is happy with the proposed merger of ESMD (Exploration Systems Mission Directorate) and SOMD (Space Operations Mission Directorate). Sources report that the White House is not sold on the idea and Congress is not exactly keen on it either. One concern is that the merger would make it harder to see how Constellation cancellation is being handled (paid for), how Shuttle is being phased out, how […]

Commercial Crew Transportation System Certification Requirements for NASA Low Earth Orbit Missions “This document defines the requirements, standards and certification package contents that will be used to certify a CCTS for LEO Missions. It will be the responsibility of the NASA Program Manager and Technical Authorities to determine the applicability of individual requirements and standards based on the DRM being certified and apply the Agency risk posture (for the DRM) […]

Can we afford to return to the Moon?, Paul Spudis “One of the biggest problems with NASA’s implementation of the VSE was that they never understood why we were going to the Moon. I base this assertion on their own statements, actions and publications. Early workshops were held by the agency to develop a rationale for lunar return. The Exploration Directorate issued a poster showing six “themes” for lunar return, […]

NASA Might Merge Human Spaceflight, Operations Directorates, Space News “In a Dec. 20 memo to agency employees, the heads of NASA’s Exploration Systems and Space Operations mission directorates said they had been tasked by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden to formulate a plan for combining the two organizations and report back to the agency chief in early 2011. “With the upcoming retirement of the Space Shuttle and the likely transition away […]