Senators Want Big Rocket Instead of New Tech, Commercial Transportation

FleaPlus writes "Members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation are drafting a bill (due this week) which slashes NASA technology development/demonstrations, commercial space transportation, and new robotic missions to a small fraction of what the White House proposed earlier this year. The bill would instead redirect NASA funds to 'immediate' development of a government-designed heavy lift rocket, although it's still unclear if NASA can afford a heavy lifter in the long term or if (with the new technology the Senators seek to cut, like in-space refueling) it actually needs such a rocket. The Senators' rocket design dictates a payload of 75mT to orbit, uses the existing Ares contracts and Shuttle infrastructure as much as possible, and forces use of the solid rocket motors produced by Utah arms manufacturer ATK."

Comments

Really big rockets?

[Locke2005]

"Do you think he's maybe compensating for something?" -- Shrek

Re:Safe solution?

[TooMuchToDo]

There is no such thing as a truly man rated solid booster. They can put on their manager hat instead of their engineer hat and ram it thru for political reasons, but that doesn't make it true or safe.

But of course there is! As long as you can extinguish the combustion process, you'll be fine!

/kidding
//huge fan of the Merlin engines
///would fly Dragon any day

Re:The Senators' rocket design dictates a payload

[roman_mir]

they could just claim to be catering to their stated directive about "reaching out to Muslims"

- well, if the requirement is 75Kg and they are reaching out to Muslims, then I am assuming they are going to rich out to Muslims with a 75Kg warhead of some sort.