White House Panel Considers New Paths To Space

Neil H. writes "The White House's Human Space Flight Plans blue-ribbon panel (the 'Augustine panel') has posted the material from their first public meeting on the future of NASA's spaceflight program, which was held on Wednesday. NASA officials presented their Ares I rocket plans and their belief that they can work around its design flaws, with projected development costs ballooning to $35 billion. The panel also heard several alternative proposals, such as adapting already-existing EELV and SpaceX rockets to carry crew to orbit; these proposals would have better safety margins than the Ares I, be ready sooner, and cost NASA less than $2 billion to complete, but are politically unattractive."

New paths to space?

[Anonymous Coward]

Like what... DOWN, this time?

Re:Space Elevator

[CarpetShark]

We can't even do nanotube ropes long enough for bridges and you want to use them for elevators ?

Come now. He didn't say it needed to be a BIG space elevator.

Re:"New Paths"

[spqr0a1]

If you try hard enough down also works. *ducks*

Re:"New Paths"

[Anonymous Coward]

We should conquer Australia for their strategic "down" path to space.

Re:"New Paths"

[Starayo]

I welcome you to try. You'll get here and be dead within weeks, since EVERYTHING IS POISONOUS. :(

Re:Space Elevator

[Anonymous Coward]

What about lowering the moon to (locally) partially cancel earth's gravity?