Comments on: A GAO report says that NASA has been hiding the true and very expensive cost of the SLS/Orion projects by specifically excluding the cost of any actual missions that go anywhere. https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/a-gao-report-says-that-nasa-has-been-hiding-the-true-and-very-expensive-cost-of-the-slsorion-projects-by-specifically-excluding-the-cost-of-any-actual-missions-that-go-anywhere/ Mon, 04 Apr 2016 22:51:51 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Kelly Starks https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/a-gao-report-says-that-nasa-has-been-hiding-the-true-and-very-expensive-cost-of-the-slsorion-projects-by-specifically-excluding-the-cost-of-any-actual-missions-that-go-anywhere/#comment-169012 Fri, 23 May 2014 13:26:32 +0000 http://behindtheblack.com/?p=28588#comment-169012 In reply to DougSpace.

> …. Congressmen could arguably agree that the SLS costs too much per kg to LEO ..

Actually higher cost is a design goal. Otherwise they would have stayed with cheaper reusable, more Shuttle like designs. Griffin listed higher costs as a goal back to Constellation, since it generates more public support.

>.. We all have successfully docked in space more than 300 times without much that actually qualifies as a failure…

Neil Armstrong, might list a certain Gemini docking, and Mir folks a certain progress docking as serious exceptions to that. That was why Falcon was not allowed to attempt a docking at ISS. Dockings aren’t low risk.

]]> By: DougSpace https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/a-gao-report-says-that-nasa-has-been-hiding-the-true-and-very-expensive-cost-of-the-slsorion-projects-by-specifically-excluding-the-cost-of-any-actual-missions-that-go-anywhere/#comment-168748 Wed, 21 May 2014 22:04:02 +0000 http://behindtheblack.com/?p=28588#comment-168748 The SLS will have more payload capability than the Falcon Heavy. Congressmen could arguably agree that the SLS costs too much per kg to LEO but they could reasonably believe that we need to build it anyway if we arile eventually going to Mars. So we need to provide a technically and cost-efficient way by which the SLS Blocks 1 and 2 can be replaced in terms of capability. So, when the FH successfully launches, it needs to be made clear that it isn’t sufficient to just launch heavier satellites but can replace the capability of the SLS. We all have successfully docked in space more than 300 times without much that actually qualifies as a failure. So docking should be considered to be a low-risk option. Dock two FHs and we can probably do everything in the Earth-Moon system and a Mars flyby and maybe a crewed Deimos-Phobos mission. Dock three FHs and perhaps we could land a Mars hab & methane propellant generator and then perhaps a crewed landing. But this point needs to be made crystal clear when the FH first launches. As for any Falcon X(X) it is too far away and too uncertain to be a convincing argument for the cancellation of SLS now.

]]> By: mivenho https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/a-gao-report-says-that-nasa-has-been-hiding-the-true-and-very-expensive-cost-of-the-slsorion-projects-by-specifically-excluding-the-cost-of-any-actual-missions-that-go-anywhere/#comment-168668 Wed, 21 May 2014 04:10:25 +0000 http://behindtheblack.com/?p=28588#comment-168668 No crewed flight planned until 2021? 2021??? Elon Musk may be on Mars by then!

]]> By: Edward https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/a-gao-report-says-that-nasa-has-been-hiding-the-true-and-very-expensive-cost-of-the-slsorion-projects-by-specifically-excluding-the-cost-of-any-actual-missions-that-go-anywhere/#comment-168620 Tue, 20 May 2014 23:17:34 +0000 http://behindtheblack.com/?p=28588#comment-168620 “The reason is to avoid giving Congress sticker shock, said William Gerstenmaier, NASA’s associate administrator for human exploration and operations.

“‘If we laid out a path directly to Mars and we laid out all the vehicles and all the testing and all the work to get there, then you end up with a fairly long period of time with a lot of funding that goes into that activity that says this program is something maybe we don’t want to go do,’ Gerstenmaier said”

Gee, we wouldn’t want sticker shock, then Congress might cancel this expensive pork-barrel system-to-nowhere and decide to do a better, less pork-barrel system that actually has a mission that it can be designed to perform (we can only hope).

I am shocked, *shocked* (to paraphrase “Casablanca”) that the SLS needs yet another design in order to perform the proposed (but as yet unfunded) goal of reaching Mars. One might have a mind to wonder: why build this first SLS-without-a-mission-but-with-a-huge-price-tag in the first place?

]]> By: wodun https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/a-gao-report-says-that-nasa-has-been-hiding-the-true-and-very-expensive-cost-of-the-slsorion-projects-by-specifically-excluding-the-cost-of-any-actual-missions-that-go-anywhere/#comment-168597 Tue, 20 May 2014 17:40:47 +0000 http://behindtheblack.com/?p=28588#comment-168597 This is so sad.

]]> By: Kelly Starks https://behindtheblack.com/behind-the-black/points-of-information/a-gao-report-says-that-nasa-has-been-hiding-the-true-and-very-expensive-cost-of-the-slsorion-projects-by-specifically-excluding-the-cost-of-any-actual-missions-that-go-anywhere/#comment-168594 Tue, 20 May 2014 17:20:34 +0000 http://behindtheblack.com/?p=28588#comment-168594 >… by specifically excluding the cost of any actual missions that go anywhere.

Given no missions have been approved, it would be illegal to include unapproved expenses, for unapproved missions.

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