Briefs: Change coming; Space policy round-up

This makes a lot more sense to me than the earlier talk of solid rocket prices "doubling":

"During a Senate Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee hearing, Rear Adm. Stephen Johnson, said he expects solid rocket motor prices to rise 10 to 20 percent. He assured Vitter that 100 percent price growth is not likely. Johnson heads Navy strategic systems programs. ... NASA's requirements are so different from the military's - think size and weight - that eliminating NASA's demand will not cause military rocket costs to double."

Meanwhile, NASA will be using the under-capacity EELVs a lot more, which will help the EELV users. NASA will also use and enable other rockets the military can use. NASA will upgrade the Florida launch range for commercial rockets, presenting the DoD with more options there (perhaps including more EELV processing lines to give DoD more flexibility. This is important - even though the EELVs are way under capacity, recent EELV issues and payload delays have caused big bottlenecks for DoD EELV use recently).

At the same time, NASA will be doing numerous technology demonstrations and a lot of space technology research. Much of this will help the military: smallsats, satellite servicing, depots, high-speed communications, reusable suborbital RLV use, light-weight materials, in-space propulsion, etc.

NASA's increased Earth observation budget will indirectly help the industrial base for similar DoD and intelligence satellites.

Developing an American-made, modernized and cost-effective RD-180 class engine would be quite useful for the DoD. That's in the NASA budget.

Posted by red at 03/18/10 05:48:41

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