Jeff Foust is posting notes on his Twitter page from the Goddard Memorial Symposium happening today in Greenbelt, Maryland. The first talk was by Lori Garver. A sampling of his notes:
/-- Garver: NASA heavy-lift program starts now under new plan; would not have started until >2015 under old plan.
/-- Garver: past programs have been vehicle-centric, not space transportation-centric: focus has been on the vehicle and not the payload.
/-- Garver: NASA very supportive of prizes, talking about potential collab on Google Lunar X Prize, such as making a data purchase.
/-- Ed Weiler: NASA SMD budget "is a good news budget and a great news budget". Good for space sci, great for Earth sci.
/-- Weiler: finally confident MSL on track for launch in Oct 11 after final actuator passed tests 2 weekends ago.
/-- David Radzanowski, SOMD: no sign of an increase in attrition or performance problems with shuttle workforce despite looming end of program.
/-- Radzanowski: technically possible to extend shuttle, but anything possible with enough $ and workforce. Still would have 2-3 yr gap.
/-- Doug Cooke, ESMD: hoping to find multiple users in industry for hydrocarbon engine to be developed in new plan.
/-- Cooke: working now on developing human-rating reqs for comm'l vehicles. Want something that is well thought out, but not excessive.