NASA/Cargo flights

NASA is seaking private contractors to handle the cargo flights to space
station. Do you think that Burt Rutan will jump on chance to bid for that?

Toks Desalu

"Toks Desalu" wrote in message
news:mJQmf.1473$Bj4.1244@trndny01...
NASA is seaking private contractors to handle the cargo flights to space
station. Do you think that Burt Rutan will jump on chance to bid for that?

IMHO, no. NASA would expect the winner to be ready to start bringing cargo
soon after the bid is awarded. That would mean that the winner would have
to have a system in place, or nearly so, already. That will mean it will
have to be a non reusable system,, probably unmanned, and that is not where
he is headed.

Reusable or not, by bet is that the winner will be unmanned. Just my
guesses.
--
Jim in NC

"Toks Desalu" wrote in message
news:mJQmf.1473$Bj4.1244@trndny01...
NASA is seaking private contractors to handle the cargo flights to space
station. Do you think that Burt Rutan will jump on chance to bid for that?

Toks Desalu

I wouldn't think so at this time. What Rutan has demonstrated is the ability
to boost a relatively low speed craft to the edge of space. Putting
something into orbit is a whole 'nother ballgame due to the far higher
velocity required. The higher speed would require a much more efficient
(and possibly complex) propulsion system. Beyond that, if the goal is to
bring anything back from orbit, he'd have to develop a different re-entry
system, because the one on Spaceship One is a relatively low speed system.

My guess is you'll see the big aerospace contractors take a look at this
one.

KB

There's another company poised to capitalize on this bid process. It's run
by one of the multi-millionaire internet startup youngster types.
Apparently, they can do the job for a fraction of the current cost with 100%
reusable components sans fuel. Small company, low overhead etc etc. There
was a piece on public radio the other day discussing this very topic. I
apologize for being so vague...

"Toks Desalu" wrote in message
news:mJQmf.1473$Bj4.1244@trndny01...
NASA is seaking private contractors to handle the cargo flights to space
station. Do you think that Burt Rutan will jump on chance to bid for that?

Toks Desalu

On Sun, 11 Dec 2005 06:38:01 -0500, "Morgans" wrote:


"Toks Desalu" wrote in message
news:mJQmf.1473$Bj4.1244@trndny01...
NASA is seaking private contractors to handle the cargo flights to space
station. Do you think that Burt Rutan will jump on chance to bid for that?

IMHO, no. NASA would expect the winner to be ready to start bringing cargo
soon after the bid is awarded. That would mean that the winner would have
to have a system in place, or nearly so, already. That will mean it will
have to be a non reusable system,, probably unmanned, and that is not where
he is headed.

Reusable or not, by bet is that the winner will be unmanned. Just my
guesses.

I don't disagree with you too far, but: It's possible that Rutan could make the
cargo ship by leveraging the hardware he's building for the suborbital ships.
On the Discovery TV show last year, they showed a SpaceShipOne-class vehicle
atop of Falcon rocket. A Falcon V could take a SS1 to orbit, though getting it
DOWN again might be problem. But with an unmanned ship, that ain't an issue,
and, in fact, increases your payload capability by eliminating wings, etc.

Remember, no American astronaut flew atop a rocket specifically developed for
manned flight until the Apollo program. All the rockets in Mercury and Gemini
were designed for unmanned "cargo" missions. Rutan's smartest move would be to
grab the NASA contract and let the US Government fund the development of an
unmanned orbital system....then he could adapt it for manned use.

Ron Wanttaja

JeffM wrote:
There's another company poised to capitalize on this bid process. It's run
by one of the multi-millionaire internet startup youngster types...............

I think maybe you are thinking of this new launch company :
http://www.spacex.com/

Its founded and run by Elon Musk, co-founder of Paypal. They are nearly
ready for their first launch....and have designed/planned to grow to
much bigger launch vehicles. You can subscribe to their email
newsletter for continuing news updates.

Rich A.

NASA is seaking private contractors to handle the cargo flights to space
station. Do you think that Burt Rutan will jump on chance to bid for that?


I agree with the "no" camp, but not for any technological or economic
reasons.

Rutan has a history of expressing great distaste for government
bureaucracies. NASA is as bureaucratic a farce as government can get
(otherwise we wouldn't even have this nearly useless ISS needing
supplies to begin with).

Daniel