tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-483732221672475337.post3185892377900921408..comments2024-01-06T17:59:10.908-05:00Comments on Vision Restoration: Ten Questions for HSF Committee - Question 8Rayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508338717987649684noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-483732221672475337.post-38035388253900077492009-11-22T15:53:33.549-05:002009-11-22T15:53:33.549-05:00Anonymous:
You seem to have fallen into your own ...Anonymous:<br /><br />You seem to have fallen into your own trap. "What is the best rocket for transporting people to orbit?" is exactly the question NASA wants you to ask, because it is within the fudgability of the figures to claim that Ares (their paper rocket) is better than _____ (your operational rocket). The real question is, what is the best architecture for transporting people or orbit? When asked that way, you have to consider things like the cost and responsiveness advantages of having a broad customer base in emergencies; the advantage of having multiple independent systems in case of a major design flaw in one of them; the advantage of spreading R&D and overhead among several users.Rogahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15019289777501868721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-483732221672475337.post-66059381672721536042009-11-22T12:15:16.252-05:002009-11-22T12:15:16.252-05:00I'd say that the right question at the Augusti...I'd say that the right question at the Augustine Committee's level involves comparing the pros and cons of Ares I vs. a commercial services incentive/purchase like COTS. In fact the Committee did address this type of question, but not in a side-by-side comparison like I think they should have done. If they'd done that, I suspect that they would have treated the 2 options comparably with respect to the need to have a fallback.<br /><br />If the conclusion of such a comparison is that a commercial crew approach is better, the next step is to initiate the competition. At that point the question becomes "What is the best rocket for transporting people to orbit?" This depends on what the commercial competitors bring to the table. Atlas V is undoubtably a strong contender at that point. Even something not too different from Ares I in terms of hardware could have a commercial champion. The winners of the competition should be based not just on hardware (obviously an important consideration), but also on the financial backing, business plan, and other ingredients of a successful commercial service.<br /><br />One reason I wouldn't want to go right to the "best rocket" question is that I think we'd be better off with at least 2 independent solutions, which already makes the question one of the "best rockets". However, 2 independent capsules on 1 rocket would be better than a single solution overall.Rayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13508338717987649684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-483732221672475337.post-58526784519965221552009-11-22T02:01:33.908-05:002009-11-22T02:01:33.908-05:00"If they get you asking the wrong question, i..."If they get you asking the wrong question, it doesn't matter what answer you get." <br />This is the classic "wrong question". The correct question is "What is the best rocket for transporting people to orbit?" The candidates include Ares 1 and Falcon 9, but also Atlas V and Delta IV, and perhaps a few others. <br />IMO, if you just want to take people to LEO, ISS or elsewhere, Atlas V with no strap-on SRBs wins. Sure, you can't carry a lunar return rocket, or the environment for a week of trans-lunar travel, but that wasn't this question.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com