US Congress seeks control over NASA moonshot

Both hands and a flashlight...

This oughta be something to watch. What the hell does a congress know about rocket science and aerospace management? The combined knowledge of that whole body on the subject could probably fill an 8 page religious pamphlet.

Alabama?

Isn't that the state that (by legislative fiat) decreed that the value of Pi was to "3"? Base 10, I suppose, although I think the concept may have been beyond their grasp.

Muppets, all of them. Obese muppets.

No it isn't

"...safest, most advanced, and most efficient vehicle we have at NASA" My arse

It certainly is the most efficient as parts break up and are destroyed, unlike a reusable shuttle.

It's putting people without passports that believe in creationism in charge of the most advanced human endeavour at the forefront of technological research.

One small step for man, one massive step back for human advancement.

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Although it pains me to say this (having been brought up during the pioneering days of Gemini) if Congress really are in charge of decisions about Ares/Constellation and/or and alternative programs, I think we can safely count the US out of any serious manned space exploration in the future.

Gilruth, Low, Kraft, Lunney, Slayton, Webb, Mueller & Co must be turning in their graves.

Except for Chris & Glynn neither of whom are in a grave.

I'll get my coat and PLSS

Errrmmm, wut?

"This bill not only saves but preserves the survival of the safest, most advanced, and most efficient vehicle we have at NASA," said Alabama congressman Parker Griffith in a statement.

Well, you know, they would say that.. "...US Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama, whose state houses the Marshall Space Flight Center, a leader of Constellation's Ares rocket program."

Surely people can see why this backward hick wants yet another idiot single use rocket as the good ol' US of A's shuttle replacement.... seriously?

Turning Govt. over to the Companies

Shelby thinks that the agency which came up with The Stick would be willing to change their minds when a large gun is held against their head? Nothing like a little law to set that into stone. I think it would be funny now if the private sector ends up getting back to the moon before NASA figures out which end is their arse and which end is the mouth.

Marvelous Shelby, just marvelous.

MSFC is the heart of the crewed space programme

And knows that if that ends they are likely to go down the pan of history.

The Aries 1 is solely about crew transport. The fact that so far it does not look ready to carry crew to the ISS untill ISS is ready to be de-orbited (or slightly later) does not seem to bother them too much.

The idea that cargo should be seperated from crew came from the last Shuttle disaster. Given the US has 2 seperate ranges of ELV's ranging from substantial to *very* substantial payload it seemd odd that neither of these could cut the mustard.

The language described suggests this is to stop the adminsitration from acting on the recommendations of the Augustine commision.