Watch Obama address NASA LIVE about its future. Mars?

See here's the deal.

Many have failed to realize the potential of this post HERE! Some day in the not too distant future we the US will land humans on MARS. No, there wont be a Doctor available. To save on weight and fuel. We will have somebody here on Earth strapping on a VR helmet and control gloves to do any suergery required if the need arises.


Or attach him to a tracked vehicle on MARS and let a highly educated Geologist take control. [Probably in his 90s]


Either way we will have a Human there Planting two flags!

The US and UN unlike previously on the Moon.


[edit on 15-4-2010 by SLAYER69]

Do you guys think Obama has asked about the non civilian space program, and i think this is why he is not really that bothered with the nasa thing.

World drug dealing and arms sales, probably give all the money the secret space program needs lol, so why should obama care?

Do you guys think obama has looked into a secret space program that we talke of here?

Did I hear him correctly ? Did he say "private companies will be bought by government to ensure safety" ? If so :
That would mean no more competition from the private space companies/industries and total monopoly in the space industry by NASA and whoever they get in on that deal.
Hope I'm wrong

Did anyone notice that Neil Armstrong was never mentioned?

And that Buzz was there to save the day?

I think Buzz is still angry about being second!

And to a test pilot that is a bad place marker to have!

anyone?

"Remarks of President Barack Obama -- As Prepared for Delivery
Space Exploration in the 21st Century
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Kennedy Space Center"



www.nasa.gov...

Looks like mars will get some visits according to this.

Originally posted by andy1033

World drug dealing and arms sales, probably give all the money the secret space program needs lol, so why should obama care?

I RARELY go off the Rails.

Give it a REST!

DUDE the one good thing the US has done and you want to throw that CRAP IN THE MIX!

Bite me!

reply to post by Vesica


Interesting, I have to read the document, thanks for posting this...

I wish for humanity to visit all the planets soon!

Not later!


all the shuttle! its all we got left!

s914.photobucket.com... Obama needs to address the issue of aliens in, on and around the Whitehouse.

Originally posted by fieryjaguarpaw

Nothing really new or even very interesting in this.

We will spend $3 billion to research a heavy lift rocket over the next five years. Then we will start to actually build it. WTF!?
Somone (Obama) should show some leadership and make a descision now on what kind of HLV we will build and use that $3 billion to get to work on building it. Why fiddle around for 5 years just thinking about it. There are plenty of ideas already out there and tons of research already done.

He wants to keep the Orion crew capsule, but reduce it to nothing more than a escape pod for the ISS. WHY!? We don't need that at all. We already have an escape pod, it's called soyuz. He says we don't want to depend on the Russians for this though. I say why not? It's one thing to have to depend on them in order to get us into space, but it's another thing entirely to continue using soyuz as a back up escape pod for ISS. Does anyone really think that if ISS has a catastophic disaster that demands the crew abort the station that the Russians will tell us "NO, you can't use our escape vehicles. We will let you stupid Americans die in this tin can before we let you bum a ride home from us." Of course not. Simply put the one thing Obama has decided to keep from the constellation program will be down graded to the point of being the one thing we don't even need. What a waiste. We should use the money to go ahead and start building that heavy lift vehichle instead.

What do you think research means? They're probably going to be developing a brand new type of HLV within 5 years, then use it.

And if (while it's highly unlikely) the U.S goes to war with russia, I doubt they will be allowed to use the soyuz.

Originally posted by fieryjaguarpaw
We will spend $3 billion to research a heavy lift rocket over the next five years. Then we will start to actually build it. WTF!?
Somone (Obama) should show some leadership and make a descision now on what kind of HLV we will build and use that $3 billion to get to work on building it. Why fiddle around for 5 years just thinking about it. There are plenty of ideas already out there and tons of research already done.

Like I said in another thread. There could be political reasons for doing that. If Obama gets a second term, the HLV wouldn't start until near the end of that term. By the time the next President gets into office, it won't be that far along and it still gives them time to cancel it, if they want. That may seem a bit cynical, but looking at past history, it's not that unbelievable.

He wants to keep the Orion crew capsule, but reduce it to nothing more than a escape pod for the ISS. WHY!?

Because a lot of people were upset with the idea of cancelling it. So this is a compromise. Plus if the commercial companies fail to deliver, this could work as a backup plan. I don't think it would take much to convert the design from a lifeboat to a fully functioning spacecraft.

Originally posted by hippomchippo


What do you think research means? They're probably going to be developing a brand new type of HLV within 5 years, then use it.

I think it means piddling around and waisting a bunch of time and money that could instead be used to actually build something. Seriously, he said they would spend the time comming up with designs, and what types of fuels to be used, and what type of materials would be used and so on. Do a google search and you'll see lots of different concepts and designs created by space advocates and professionals that are pretty well thoought out. We need some leadership... Make a descision.

And if (while it's highly unlikely) the U.S goes to war with russia, I doubt they will be allowed to use the soyuz.

Are you serious? This not only sounds rediculous, but I imagine it would probably be considered some sort of war crime. If this was a legitamit fear then I don't see why we would have ever agreed to cooperate with the Russians (or anyone else) in building the ISS.

reply to post by jra


I agree that those are the reasons for continuing with Orion in a stripped down form, but it's still a big fat waste of money and time that could be spent on something we actually need (like an HLV) in my opinion.

We already have an escape vehicle and the dragon could be used when its compleated, how much redundancy do we need?

I think you're missing the point with the HLV research. A lot of people I think were looking for this new all "Discovery 1" mission to Mars type of announcement. Big bells and whistles and something you could go "OOOHHH AAAHHHH!"


With today's mission requirements the old Saturn V wouldn't be much good at getting anything anywhere. I think this is a logical step. Get a good sound "BIG BOOSTER" which will allow you to put heavier payloads into space. I think the limits are 14T now? Some of these telescope satellites are huge with big heavy lenses and that's what will be needed in the future. Better guidance, maybe thrust vectoring nozzles for easy in flight corrections.

The Moon is a more realistic goal for the future. Get the workings of maintaining people on the moon(structures, logistics, etc) and then work on Mars once you have a good system in place. The Moon can be used as a research station for future missions to Mars.

reply to post by DEEZNUTZ


I'm assuuming you were directing that at me?

Well I pretty much agree with everything you said. I certainly wasn't expecting anything major or new to be announced today. It was mostly just a bunch of vauge fluff with out any specifics or deadlines (other than when the research on the HLV will be compleated) just as I expected.

But as far as the HLV goes I just simply don't understand why it will take 5 years to think it over. A lot of people think we should have a shuttle derived system, but we are going to cancel the shuttle program. It's silly to fire everyone and shut down the shop only to rehire and retrain everyone 5 years later. In fact I was a little suprised that Obama made no mention of extending the life of the shuttle. I'm of the opinion that we need to move on from the shuttle and keeping it around for another five years making one or two flights anually, would be a big waste of money, but it's even more stupid to shut down the program only to restart it 5 years later. And it seems like we will pobably need the shuttle if the ISS is indeed going to continue operatins into 2020 and beyond. But even if we don't want to use a shuttle derived system then there are other options that are well thought out and ready to be put in motion. We just need to pick one and get to it.

NASA seems to have done a lot of research over the last 40 years. I think it's time we actually did something, and not just kill another 5 years (or more) thinking about it.

I think it is a very good plan, but I disagree with the Mars landing goal. Moon is right behind the corner, has water ice and we have already visited it. Manned outpost on the Moon is the next logical step.
I would love to have a Mars landing mission, but lets face it - we will waste countless billions on it, leave a flag behind, and return to near earth space with a "we already were there" attitude, just like we did with Moon.

But a Mars flyby or orbital mission is fine, that is what I imagine under flexible path.

I am also a little dissapointed with such a long wait for HLV, because without a HLV, we will never achieve anything considerable, IMHO. HLV should be our priority for now. Anyway, it is better than Constellation.

Has anyone noticed that alot of news channels are reporting "Were going to Mars" But all we got from Obama was vagueness on the topic

President sets asteroid, Mars goals for NASA human spaceflight
Obama aims to land on Mars
Obama aims to send astronauts to Mars
Obama: We're off to Mars
Obama gives new Man to Mars mission to NASA
Obama wants NASA to focus on Mars

It goes on...

-E-

reply to post by MysterE


I noticed that, waking up late, now I can see all over the internet that we are heading to Mars!, yet this wasn't what he said, at all!

hmm how could that have been so mis-understood?

reply to post by theability


No kidding, if I had not heard the conference myself, I would think we were already on the way by how the press is covering it

reply to post by MysterE


Does the media twist words on purpose, or do you think that they are just focusing on things that 'sell' best?

There are so many conflicting stories about the media today, like you said if I hadn't of watched the address live, I'd believe them all!

reply to post by theability


You know i'm not sure. Maybe they were writers assigned to the conference and it is alot more exciting then saying "Obama dismantles NASA budget"

-E-