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Shelby: CJS Bill Sustains Human Space Flight
"U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), ranking member of the Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee (CJS), today announced subcommittee approval of the fiscal year 2011 CJS Appropriations bill, which restores significant funding for NASA's human space flight program. Following today's action by the subcommittee, the bill will now go to the full Appropriations Committee for consideration."
"This bill reaffirms our nation's commitment to a robust human space exploration program by providing $1.9 billion to begin to build an integrated heavy lift launch vehicle system that will be designed, managed, and integrated by the Marshall Space Flight Center".
Well you have to admit the Marshall Space Flight Center does have a very consistent record when it comes to new big new rockets or space planes: ALS/NLS - fail, NASP - fail, X-33/34 - fail, SLI/OSP - fail, Ares-I/IV - fail.
Anyone have a guess as to what will happen this time??
Interesting comments by the individual noting all of MSFC's failed programs. Having worked on some of those programs myself and several commercial vehicles; the difference is NASA/Congress canceled the 'failed' programs either before test and validation or were swayed by constituents in other parts of the country to reallocate funding elsewhere whereas the commercial projects were funded to completion. As a country, we American's need to take the year to year and administration to administration politics out of the process and have NASA operating to its charter of space exploration with much longer term funding commitments. The Ares I program was one of NASA's last opportunities for using the last of the Apollo brain-trust to mentor the younger folks on the program. This opportunity has now passed and hopefully, this next generation of very smart NASA engineers will surpass even the highest expectations we as Americans have for them.
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Translation: The bill we approved today feeds lots of money to Alabama because we need it here and funding a commercial, and much less expensive, manned launch system to LEO takes money away from Alabama. We therefor voted to send money to Alabama.