NASA Shuttle Replacement's Problems Are Worsening

ausoleil noted that NASA's replacement for the shuttle, the Orion, is slipping behind schedule "'We're probably going to have to move our target date,' NASA exploration chief Doug Cooke told The Associated Press on Wednesday after Nasawatch.com posted the 117-page internal status report (PDF) on the moon program. The cost problems include an $80 million overrun on a motor system. The Orion spacecraft's design remains too heavy for the proposed Ares 1 rocket. Software development, heat shield testing and other complex work remain behind schedule or over budget. There are dozens of such serious challenges, many of which are 'worsening.'"

Comments

Re:Just wait

[smittyoneeach]

Just set up a national tip jar on something akin to PayPal.
Citizens actually want to fund space activities, not the stuff that's killing us: http://perotcharts.com/
Dis-intermediating DC is step #1 in carrying out the will of the people.

Re:yeah, that's right. i'm not a rocket scientist

[Anonymous Coward]

The more expensive and the longer it takes, the more the contractors make. There's no motivation to be on time and under budget.

Not true... cost plus is good if you don't want the "lowest bidder" mentality. Although underhanded tactics will inevitably exist, NASA only pays contractors cost plus a FIXED profit for the contractor.

They have no incentive to run over on the time

Re:yeah, that's right. i'm not a rocket scientist

[khallow]

If only it were that easy. Adding to the Cost usually means you're going to take a beating when it comes to determining the Plus. It's also not a great idea to willfully and purposely dick over a major customer like NASA; both because it's illegal and because you'll have no chance to win future contracts.

I don't buy that. First, there's a long history of prime contractors (the ones actually able to make contracts with government agencies) screwing over federal agencies yet continuing to get contracts. Second, it looks pretty straightforward to legally exploit cost plus contracts.

Re:Just wait

[AKAImBatman]

FYI, I found updated numbers for the six engine Ares V on NASA's site here:

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/constellation/ares/aresV/index.html

The correct LEO figure is stated here:

The versatile, heavy-lifting Ares V is a two-stage, vertically stacked launch vehicle. It can carry nearly 414,000 pounds (188 metric tons) to low-Earth orbit. When working together with the Ares I crew launch vehicle to launch payloads into Earth orbit, Ares V can send nearly 157,000 pounds (71 metric tons) to the moon.

Re:Fortunately for NASA

[Red Flayer]

The post office is, roughly, a crown corporation. It operates under a government mandate and follows some special rules regarding taxes, but it has been self funded for quite a long time now.

You should check the figures on that... it stopped being true some time ago. Email has killed the ability of the USPS to fund itself. It's really hard to track the USPS budget, for lots of reasons (for example, their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quarters are 84 days long, and their 4th quarter is 112 days), but the Federal budget includes payments to the USPS for security and anti-terrorism, to make up for reduced revenue from Congressionally capped rates, and for other reasons.

Suffice it to say that the USPS is no longer self-sufficient.