A comparison between Space Shuttle and "commercial space"
February 14, 2010
Here you can read a clear, detailed and objective comparison between the Space Shuttle program and the "commercial space" services that "should" replace the Shuttle program, so, if you REALLY want to SAVE the Space Shuttles fleet and (nearly) ALL the shuttle-related JOBS, centers and facilities, just review THIS article.
Clearly, both Space Shuttle and "commercial space" payload costs aren't so "cheap" and the ONLY WAY to SAVE very much time and money is to adopt MY IDEA proposed here.
| ::: ghostNASA ::: |
Space Shuttle |
"commercial space" |
| when will be available |
now |
2012-2014 for cargo
2014-2016 for crew
|
| years of spaceflight gap |
zero |
2-4 years for "cargo gap"
4-6 years for "crew gap" |
| costs in 2011-2015 |
$15 billion |
$4.8 billion for COTS+CRS
$6 billion for crew program |
| costs of Soyuz seats |
zero |
up to $800 million |
| rely on Russia |
no |
yes for many years |
| number of flights |
up to 25 |
up to 20 for cargo
unknown for crew |
| cargo carried to the ISS |
up to 600 tons |
40 tons max for COTS/CRS |
| astronauts carried to LEO |
up to 180 |
unknown/minimal |
| risks for the astronauts |
high |
unknown |
| cargo price |
$25 million per ton |
over $120 million per ton |
| astronauts seats price |
free (6-8 per mission) |
$6 billion / seats ...so...
$200M x seat for 30 seats
|
| orbital assembly |
yes |
no |
| orbital disassembly |
yes |
no |
| orbital repair |
yes |
no |
| robot arm |
yes |
no |
| carry big payloads |
yes |
no |
| carry new ISS modules |
yes |
no |
| airlock for EVA |
yes |
no |
| lands on runway |
yes |
no |
| use existing launch pads |
yes |
no |
| NASA employees layoffs |
NO |
12,500 |
| use existing hardware |
yes |
no |
| cargo return |
up to 600 tons |
minimal |
| Hubble repair |
yes |
no |
| big satellites launch |
yes |
no |
| military use |
yes |
minimal |
| lunar mission assembly |
possible |
impossible |
| mission lenght |
up to 16 days |
minimal |
| costs overrun |
no |
possible |
| programs delays |
no |
possible |
| NASA and USA prestige |
very high |
very low |
| programs failure |
no |
possible |
| test new technologies |
possible |
minimal |
If
you talk/discuss about this idea on forums, blogs, websites, magazines, newspapers
please acknowledge the source of the idea, putting
a link to my
article. Thank You.
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