NASA Invokes Anti-Deficiency Act - Will CxP Grind To a Halt?

oh wow.

That will stir up the hornets...

What a sad spectacle for the space industry. Obama moved the focus of the manned program to Mars, something no president has ever done. He increased the overall budgets, and started a path that is not merely a repackaging of old, but a serious shot at doing something much bigger.

What should have been a day of jubilation for every star-gazer out there became the beginning of what is simply a political proxy war.

I hope this thrashing stops already, but it looks like HQ has to actively take CxP out of its misery.

Politics?

The new plan is getting a bumpy ride when Bolden goes to congress with it. It's dragging on and may not be decided by midterm elections.

Stopping it now prevents it from being such a big deal in Texas, Alabama, and Florida in November.

Folks:

Spacex spent half the money to develop Falcon 1, Falcon 9 and Dragon in eight years that constellation would have used in three months? Do you need any more proof out there? Those five thousand or so jobs are the heroin that feeds junkie politicians. Addicts of the pork in the barrel, the earmarks. It's wasted skill that could be better used elsewhere.

And lets hope that it is.

In that five thousand, maybe half the folks are skilled labor, the other half are managers so they'll still be a burden on the economy. But still, that's 2500 people that could be making a wage off a profitable company paying taxes instead of being payed with tax dollars and still paying taxes.

The sooner, the better.

tinker

With the way this is being managed by the administration and congress, micro-G tiddlywinks research is looking like the specialty to be in.

Anyone see the parallels to the closing laps of this year's Indy 500? Running out of fuel and slowing, being run over by those still burning fuel, some spinning out of control trying to slow down, and most of us just driving through the debris field with our eyes slitted waiting for some coherent direction. The race finishes under yellow flags. Then you wait for almost a whole year to see if they can afford to run the spectacle again. Oh well, back to searching for a sponsor.

It absolutely won't be resolved by the elections. The 2011 budget hasn't budged in months. We'll likely be on continuing resolution for another year.

But now we won't have anything to do thanks to this cheap shot at the CxP contractors.

Scrabble tournament, anyone?

Can we say 'chicken'?

It's time to put Constellation out of its misery. It's become a poor, wounded animal, maimed from its own ineptude.

How to end the U.S. Human Space Flight program on a low note. Can this administration be anything but a disaster to NASA?

Classy as always Tink

Taking glee that 5000 people are about to lose their jobs because you dont agree with the program they work on and because you believe the lies about the cost of another vehicle. Whatever. What kind of a loser takes glee in thousands of people losing their livelihood? And this is additional people, since their have already been nearly 1000 layoffs. Not to mention the imminent thousands of Space Shuttle program layoffs around the corner.

If you have no class, than at least remain silent.

If NASA learned anything in the past 30 years, it should be the fact the government should never be in a sustaining operational role. Now that the shuttle program is coming to an end, everyone acts like they never got the memo. This has been the plan for years. For all the contractors that will not be employed, I feel sorry for their poor planning, but not for the fact the program is ending. Contractors, by nature, should not expect to work 30 plus years on a contract. It has been a long, lucky ride for most.

Regarding the current Program of Record, it was doomed from the beginning when it was not properly funded. Couple that with the technical issues and proof that we really don't need the government building LEO vehicles and this script was written years ago.

We (NASA) need to focus on doing what industry can't, or won't do for the future. New propulsion systems, a heavy lift to put large mass up in one shot and long duration human vehicles. Develop, prove it, use it and pass it on.

It was amazing with Shuttle started tracking the money it was spending across the agency, and over the years it had spread to things not even associated with the program. We need to focus, and if we don't need it, we need to lose it.

Look forward. Some of the past has not been so great.

Spaceboy:

As Keith says; every job lost is happening to a human being. Human beings who were duped in the first place or transferred by their own companies to work on constellation whether they liked it or not. Then they had to crawl through two levels of management to get anything done. Then when they get something done management says that it no longer meets the program criteria. I feel for all those engineers, machinists, programmers and other folk that do real skilled labor. But for the committee mongers and power seeking paper pushers that made their lives miserable... wanna guess?

Constellation was top heavy from day one. You could tell from the way the objectives and the hardware kept eating each others tails getting bigger and bigger, to the point where the hardware could no longer meet the objective. And this before a single piece of hardware was build. I saw it then and kept quiet.

Not this time.

tinker

But who do you think is going to lose their jobs? It is the engineers, the machinists, the programmers and the skilled labor. All that will be left is that core that you say you dont like. Whether you agree with the program of record or not, this is a very sad day for our space program because between now and next February (end of shuttle) the entire skilled manned space flight workforce is going to be forced in to other industries where they have no desire to work. Yes a few hundred will be picked up by commercial space companies (and most of those companies will fold) but 10-20 thousand will have no jobs and will be forced out of the industry and the US experience base will be a thing of the past. You cant feed your family on the hope of some distant dream that in 20 years some nebulous plan may achieve a possible breakthrough in some unthought of yet goal that allows us to do something. I guess this truly is game changing. Game Over.

Well. When in the demilitarized zone, start making prosthetic legs I guess. Don't worry. It'll all change again in two years or so. After Bolden's stellar performance thus far (politically) I don't see him continuing pass Obama's first term. And with the potential start of a double dip recession on the horizon, I don't see Obama getting a second term either. Nothing personal, just too much controversy for one man in one term. That'll be game changing alright.

Since the President has directed that Constellation be terminated, I applaud Gen. Bolden for taking steps to end it quickly, rather than let Congress drag it out because they need a few more votes in November;- - after which they will then abandon the Program and the people working on it.

It's better that those people affected by the termination will be set free and able to start their new careers, sooner than later.

I find it hard to believe that skilled Engineers and Technicians will find it hard to find new jobs that hold interest for them. This country has a shortage of good Engineers and Technicians; they can surely be gainfully employed in many other industries. Unfortunately, they may be forced to relocate, but 20% or more of the population does that every year.

And the new program proposed by the President will attract new Engineers, Scientists and Technicians. This will happen once things become clear what the new program plan is and how it will be funded. And that can only happen once Congress gets the hell out of the kitchen, stops meddling with NASA, and takes a vacation; rather than grovelling for Votes, votes and more votes.

First, is this just a look into constellation or also USA, spacex, etc that have received NASA money? They all should be looked at equally right NASA? And should also be true for earth science, planetary science, etc...
Next, 1 billion dollars to be held back? The entire NASA budget is about 18 billion and one program is supposed to hold back a billion? Doesn't sound right to me.
And how will laying off people generate money for these companies? Seriously, the employees allow the company to have a charge number and get money from NASA to put in this fund. Without the employees how are the companies magically going to come up with a billion dollars? And don't they have a contract to support? Without having employees to support that contract that NASA paid them to work wouldn't they be in violation of the contract?
Something doesn't add up...

Hmmm, what would Spock Do?

http://nasaengineer.com/?p=221

(trying to have a bit of fun with it. Apollo-gies in advance if this is too spam-ish.)

"But who do you think is going to lose their jobs? It is the engineers, the machinists, the programmers and the skilled labor. All that will be left is that core that you say you dont like. Whether you agree with the program of record or not, this is a very sad day for our space program because between now and next February (end of shuttle) the entire skilled manned space flight workforce is going to be forced in to other industries where they have no desire to work."

This is what I don't understand about the POR supporters. Their portrayl of massive job loss maybe true on the operations side for now, but not much more than what was happening to that same workforce with the POR---the POR was already finding it difficult to justify the cost of maintaining their already meager operations 'standing army' as far as opreations were starting to slip to the right. As far as the true design engineers I don't see most of them going anywhere as design work will be required on the new technology, robotics, and heavy lift development programs. Some might even stay put (like some of the Orion and J2X guys). Its not like the entire NASA budget is being sent to the commerical guys. The same amount of funding is still being allocated to NASA 'in-house' efforts. Just give HQ's time to put 'meat on the bones' of the way forward......it wasn't like the objectives and architecture of the POR was developed overnight so I dont know why everyone expects something quicker here.

Spaceman85,
how long will it take to put the meat on the bones?
meaning will we still have people working at KSC when those rfp's go out for Obama's plan ?
If bolden could say he will have rfp's ready by whatever date and will require X people and people from constellation or shuttle could transfer to the new jobs he would get a much better response from congress and the contractor workforce. IMO
but by having no rfp's ready or dates or headcounts it leaves everyone uneasy.
At this point by the time his meat is on the bones shuttle and constellation may be gone and people won't be jumping at the chance to come back.

I have one question for Administrator Bolden and the White House: Are you enforcing the termination liability clauses of the COTS contracts, and every other active contract that NASA has in place? If not, and I assure you they are not, because I manage a large contract for NASA, then let's recognize this for what it is: a very transparent attempt to circumvent the LAW that directs NASA not to cancel CxP without Congressional approval.