Rumor has it new budget cuts NASA's planetary exploration program entirely

[RedRockets]

Watch the Burt Rutan Ted Talk

http://www.ted.com/talks/burt_rutan_sees_the_future_of_space.html

He says that governments eventually will need to get out of space flight altogether and business will take over, but business is unwilling to take the risk of an orbital reentry until a new tech is developed to make it safer

[RedRockets]

That was a paraphrased critique of his talk...its also an old talk... from right after spaceship-one launched successfully and won the x-prize.

[NovaSilisko]

That was a paraphrased critique of his talk...its also an old talk... from right after spaceship-one launched successfully and won the x-prize.

Well, SpaceX is a good example of why he\'s being proved right =p

[RedRockets]

On another note...The STS was exciting, Raw Power and MOAR BOOSTERS for sure, but not designed to really be a 'space' craft instead it was an orbiting space-plane never meant to go beyond Earth orbit there were going to be Nuclear Tugs as part of the system of the STS (space transportation \'System\') to transfer payloads to higher orbits but they never came to fruition.

The STS had so many design specifications put on it by the DOD (polar launches from Vandenberg AFB, Once Around Abort, Generally being a space weapons platform) that is was inherently not the true successor to the Saturn V which, please correct me if i am wrong, was a rocket which, was developed from war time technology (V-2 and von Braun) into a peaceful mission profile and had no military operational skeletons hanging in its Vehicle Assembly Building closet.

President Kennedy had the option of building Project Orion (Nuclear powered space ship) but refused to fund it because he feared it would have started a nuclear arms race in space. Also don\'t forget the MOL (Manned Orbiting Laboratory) another canceled DOD space mission.

The moon missions, and all of the US\'s space missions had to be a civilized attempt to bring man to the stars to contrast with the CCCP who were already putting weapons in space aboard their Almaz secret military space station which was equipped with a fixed 23mm autocannon to prevent hostile interception or boarding by American forces.

In addition, the US has already replaced the STS with the The Boeing X-37 (also known as the Orbital Test Vehicle) which is a military shuttle to service secret spy satellites and who knows what else (there is one in orbit right now BTW).

That was a long post but believe it or not concise and to the point of being a simpleton\'s explanation.

I spent a good amount of time in the Netherlands/USA/Russia researching the STS, Mir, ISS, Soyuz, Almaz, Voskhod, Vostock, Apollo Moon missions, Skylab, and the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project for a Masters degree in international affairs, so I lived this stuff for a few years and have over one-hundred pages of a thesis which no one has read sitting on the ol\' flash drive.

'Leave the War at Home don\'t take it to the stars with us.'

Oh, and I never saw an STS launch or any space launch for that matter...Its like a Bears fan never getting to Solider Field. I kick my self for this every day.

[icefire]

Well, SpaceX is a good example of why he\'s being proved right =p

At this point Space-X is mostly funded by NASA. For the Falcon and Dragon programs anyway.

[Polecat Industries]

o_o

Why... why Obama? First you kill our space shuttles and now this?!

Now only commercial space companies are left and without NASA, advanced in space tech and safety will slow down quite a bit. Don\'t expect to be in zero gravity anytime soon.

I have to kill them. I get the STS, but THIS?!

[RedRockets]

to quote a great american...\'You know what makes your rockets go up? Funding makes your rockets go up. No Bucks, No Buck Rodgers!'

[JupiterII]

to quote a great american...\'You know what makes your rockets go up? Funding makes your rockets go up. No Bucks, No Buck Rodgers!'

Just add more boosters!

-No

-Why?

-Money makes rockets work not rockets

[trbinsc]

Well, China is trying to get to them moon, and when they do something we haven\'t done yet, it\'ll be the space race all over again, just with no war. We\'ll be in a race to get to the moon and establish a colony before they can, and that would lead to a domino effect of everything else coming back with the increased funding.

[JupiterII]

Well, China is trying to get to them moon, and when they do something we haven\'t done yet, it\'ll be the space race all over again, just with no war. We\'ll be in a race to get to the moon and establish a colony before they can, and that would lead to a domino effect of everything else coming back with the increased funding.

I thought they were focused on docking and space stations, not the moon.

[Kryten]

Those are the current focuses, but they do have an active lunar science program-they have sent two orbiters, and are sending a lander (the first in 35 years) with a rover in 2013. The next priority for manned missions after their station is completed is moon landing, but isn\'t likely until the 2025-30 timeframe.

[NovaSilisko]

It\'s a very poorly kept secret that China wants to go to the moon.

[mincespy]

I thought they were focused on docking and space stations, not the moon.

If you get a space station, you can go the the moon.

Example: If the ISS\'s orbital plane is rotated, it can be an ideal platform for lunar transfers, AND it saves fuel!

[Luigibro606]

If you get a space station, you can go the the moon.

Example: If the ISS\'s orbital plane is rotated, it can be an ideal platform for lunar transfers, AND it saves fuel!

But oversized rockets are awesome! Except for the price.

[H2oskiKerbal]

Well i always wanted to go to space and orbit HINT HINT im 10 years old when i get old i might as well move to Russia and Sign up for there cosmonaught program i would survive training that involes alot of spinning because im a thrill master like jeb