Michael Barkoviak - March 10, 2010 1:22 PM
President Obama continues to receive harsh criticism, with NASA preparing for four manned shuttle launches.
Amid continued criticism and uncertainty, NASA is moving ahead with four remaining manned shuttle missions aimed at completing the International Space Station (ISS).
Manned shuttle launches are expected to take place in April and May, along with scheduled launches this July and September. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) report indicates the shuttle cost to finish the ISS will total upwards of $48.5 billion.
The current fleet of space shuttles should have transitioned into retirement by now, but must make several additional flights now that the U.S. space agency doesn't know when it will have a next-generation rocket system.
At its current standards, NASA spends upwards of $200 million per month to keep the fleet running. The next manned shuttle launch will take place on April 5, when space shuttle Discovery heads to the ISS.
The next-generation Constellation program is to be scrapped entirely, which could leave NASA at the mercy of the Russian space program even longer. After construction on the ISS is complete, the United States will purchase trips into space aboard the Russian Soyuz craft.
Constellation was expected to lift off in 2015, but that's obviously unlikely to be met with a new shuttle program. The agency is trying to end Constellation extremely carefully, but is finding even that to be difficult.
Furthermore, former President George W. Bush outlined his desire to return to the moon by 2020 -- a goal that will not happen, though the Chinese, Russia, India and other space nations are looking to make the trek to the moon's surface.
Obama decided to offer more money to private contractors to help shuttle astronauts and supplies into low-Earth orbit (LEO).
Source
dailytech
