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Competition to Build the Space Shuttle's Successor
Neil Halelamien writes "The competition for the prime contract to build the Crew Exploration Vehicle, the successor to the Space Shuttle, is ramping up. Currently, 11 different companies are creating preliminary designs for systems and vehicles which could be useful in implementing NASA's Vision for Space Exploration. By the end of the year, NASA will select two teams to independently develop and build a CEV design. The two teams will launch competing unmanned prototypes in 2008, at which point NASA will award a final winning contract. Aerospace giants Boeing and Northrop Grumman have formed one team. Another "all-star" team, announced a couple of days ago, is headed by Lockheed Martin. A third team in the running is underdog t/Space, a company with a free enterprise approach to space exploration, which includes notable figures from the commercial spaceflight arena, such as Burt Rutan and Gary Hudson. There is concern that a NASA budget boost to help pay for the exploration program could draw some opposition, as most other government programs are anticipating budget cuts."
How about just using a big bomb to kill the astronauts ?
So long Micheal.
Now that you are gone I no longer have to read at -1 especially when related to any story you were an "editor"
What makes anyone think they'll be able to get a new rocket into orbit?
The world you experience is only a close approximation of reality.
really an alien from outer space, we might be able to convince GWB to fund NASA.
Or mabie if we can show that there is oil on the moon...
Unfortunatly, the US government (bush in particular) seems too focused on oil, wars no-one really wants, not catching the people who need to be captured (bin laden etc), catching people who arent a threat (most of the people in the cuban camps, people pirating music and movies online etc) and generally doing stupid things.
The only reason GWB can get away with all these stupid things is because he does just enough good things (anti-gay things, anti-abortion things, farm subsidies, various religious things that totally defly the so-called seperation of church and state, tax cuts designed to look good without actually doing anything etc) to keep the american voters happy.
I enjoy voting for wise and principled men, for my doing so invariably drives the likes of you absolutely batshit. And that is always a good thing.
You're probably trolling, since this question has come up and been answered over and over and over again. So, I'll spare you the full explanation as it can be found in full elsewhere.
If the given reasons don't seem adequate to you, just accept that you're part of that (significant) fraction of the population that lacks the foresight and imagination to understand why we need to explore space, and every other frontier that is left to us. No amount of my explaining this to you is likely to make a difference.
There were folks who were sure that Columbus was insane for making his journey, and Columbus's journey resulted in a hugely important and un-anticipated discovery as well as enormous benefit. Do you think his exploration was worthless? Would you have thought so before his journey?
Bah.