Why We Need The Big, Expensive Rocket

For all the criticisms one might easily level at the United States Congress, they may be doing something right. There appears to be a good bit of opposition to President Obama's proposed NASA budget.

Mr. Obama has proposed to cut the Constellation program, the aim of which is to return Americans to the Moon and eventually beyond. A key element of the Constellation program is the Ares launch vehicle. With the retirement of the Space Shuttle imminent, the United States would be lacking a heavy lift launch vehicle that is rated to carry humans.

While I am all in favor of austerity in government programs given the horrid debt and obscene deficits that afflict this Republic, retaining the ability to loft men into orbit for whatever reason or contingency is most probably a sound idea.

It is fair to say that the Ares program is behind schedule, looking like it will go over budget, undergoing down rating in proposed capability and looks like it will not be able to put the Orion CEV into a stable orbit without the addition of a third (read that costly) stage. However, the Space Shuttle solid rocket booster which forms the basis for the Ares I fist stage and the proposed J2X engine for the second stage are derived from man rated hardware.

There is a reasonable argument that the successful Delta IV launch vehicle is suitable for lofting the Orion CEV but that platform is currently not man rated. The consensus in the Blogosphere seems to be that the lead time and cost to man rate the Delta vehicle would be comparable to those required to complete the Ares I program. Considering the large amounts of money and effort already invested in the Ares program and the fact that the Ares I has been test flown already, man rating the Delta does not look like such a hot idea.

Imperfect as the program is, the development and deployment of the Ares launch vehicle should continue. Perhaps a partnership between NASA and the space launch industry might be forged to jointly (and possibly more efficiently!) complete the Ares program so that the vehicle might be both a commercial cargo platform and a government manned platform.

If we as a nation do not complete the Ares program, Mr. Obama's advice to every four year old that wants to be an astronaut is essentially "get good grades in school, study math, engineering and learn to speak Chinese".



"Well, I'll be damned...she does fly!"

DISCLOSURE NOTICE: I hold a long position in Orbital Sciences Corporation (ORB) and hold positions in other aerospace and defense firms that may also be contractors to the Ares program.

--END--