Anche se la parte lunare del programma Constellation dovesse slittare,sembra che ci sia interesse a realizzare comunque Ares V per progetti spaziali “Obamiani”:
ARES V AND SPACE-BASED SOLAR POWERSATS: THE TIME IS NOWAviation Week & Space Technology had an outstanding article on page #52 of its December 8, 2008 edition, entitled “Soft Power.” The article details the requirements for Space-Based Solar Powersats that promise both clean energy and the aerospace infrastructure that is also needed for safe, non-nuclear asteroid deflection methodologies (not mentioned in the article). Large Space Based Radarsats, solar sails, etc–all need large payload shrouds.
The most important paragraph in the powersat article began as follows:
“For the spaceborne end of the system, that would mean payloads too large for today’s fleet of Atlas V and Delta IV Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicles…” (–known as EELVs.)
However–
“The 2007 study didn’t address using NASA’s planned Ares V heavy Lifter,
a shuttle-derived launch vehicle planned to be able to lift more than
400,000 lb. to low Earth Orbit. The space-science community is suggesting
potential uses for the big new rocket (AW&ST Dec. 1, p.27), and it is likely
to figure into future studies of launch requirements for an SSP system as well.”Space Solar Power (SSP) has great potential seeing that a “‘single kilometer-wide band of geosynchronous Earth orbit experiences enough solar flux in one year to nearly equal the amount of energy contained within all known recoverable conventional oil reserves on Earth today’ the Pentagon report states…a lot of the technologies and the capabilities that are going to lead us to the future are out here.”
Sadly, there are many in the military who have been overtly hostile to space budgets. An Obama Presidency can change this.
One of the biggest advocates of Ares V is current NASA Chief Administrator Mike Griffin a fine engineer, who reportedly had a falling out with the Obama transition team. This is unfortunate, since the real enemies of the Obama Administration are some of those same Red State Alabamians who wanted to force Griffin to use EELVs.
What many Democrats need to know is that the Alabama-advocated EELVs are Red State rockets.
Ares V on the other hand is a rocket to be built in Hurricane Katrina ravaged Louisiana—very much a Blue State which needs aerospace and engineering jobs that Alabama has largely usurped from the rest of the country:
First, California lost many space-related jobs to Alabama.
Ares V construction, on the other hand, would allow JPL
to field better robotic Spacecraft as explained by the current
head of the Cassini imaging team:Secondly, Alabama has become a new home to many foreign auto-makers, while its Senators, like Richard Shelby, would deny aid to good, union-employing American car-makers in the Rust Belt. This after Alabama seized rocket production from other states. This is the true price of EELVs.
The enemies of Ares V would put more people out of work in Hurricane ravaged Louisiana.
Lastly, we all remember the tanker fiasco, what with Boeing being sold out to EADS.
Aerospace work cannot be allowed to be concentrated in any one state due to hostile reactions from other states that may fail to support aerospace programs vital to America’s future.
I would thus ask President Obama to keep Mike Griffin as Chief Administratior, and support rushing development of Ares V by cutting the costly Air Force F-22 which cannot give America alternative energy. Many who want peaceful use of space (Space Solar Power) have been discriminated against by warmongers and fighter-jocks who have run the Air Force–and this nation–into the ground.
I therefore call President Obama to raid Air Force acquisitions, cancel the tanker, and support Ares V. Not only is it key to America’s energy independance, but it keeps jobs in America–especially Katrina-hit Louisiana, which has a poor African-American populace that depend on taxes that come from high paying aerospace jobs. I would also ask that Neil de Grasse Tyson and Ms. Porco to take up the banner for Blue-state Ares V. Not Red-State EELVs that are ill suited for the task at hand.
The Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) must continue.
America’s future depends upon it.
http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=14928.150
Vedremo.