NASA eyes buying Japan's cargo spacecraft: report (Shuttle replacement)

Reuters ^ | Jul 20, 2008 | Reporting by Aiko Hayashi; Editing by Alex Richardson

[decimon]

TOKYO (Reuters) - NASA has began unofficial negotiations with Japan's space agency on purchasing units of an unmanned cargo transfer spacecraft as the successor to its space shuttles, the Yomiuri newspaper said on Sunday.

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The H-2 Transfer Vehicle (HTV), which costs about 14 billion yen ($131 million) each, is being developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and domestic companies including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd and Mitsubishi Electric Corp, the Yomiuri said.

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[decimon]

I have no technical knowledge of the HTV and so, cannot answer questions.

[decimon]

Orbital ping.

[Perdogg]

I guess the Boeing lobbying hotline is burning up the lines at this very second.

[GBA]

It's another sign of our fall. They build better consumer electronics, better cars and trucks and now they are building our space craft while we struggle to create the next great reality tv show. This is what happens when the demonrats run the schools.

[Former Proud Canadian]

1903 Two bicycle mechanics from Dayton achieve powered flight.

1945 The US builds and uses nuclear bombs to end the war with Japan.

1969 The US lands astronauts on the Moon and returns them safely.

2008 The US space agency buys boosters from the nation that was bombed into the stone age in 1945.

What the heck is wrong with this picture?

[Paleo Conservative]

If you want on or off this aerospace ping list, please contact Paleo Conservative or phantomworker by Freep mail.

[RightWhale]

Add:
Kills successful Apollo moon program
Kills Superconducting Supercollider
Fails to repeal 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty
Defunds ITER

What is going on? Seems clear enough.

[decimon]

Any idea what is the launch vehicle for this cylinder?

[RightWhale]

H-2

[Paleo Conservative]

H-2

Isn't that just a Japanese licensed Titan launch vehicle?

[Robe]

What's wrong with the ATV it's already docked to the ISS and did a 20 min burn yesterday to lift the ISS.... It has a 7.7 ton cargo capacity

[decimon]

H-2

Oh! :-)

[Robe]

This thing doesn't have a docking capacity....WTF??? HTV Briefing Page

[decimon]

What's wrong with the ATV it's already docked to the ISS and did a 20 min burn yesterday to lift the ISS.... It has a 7.7 ton cargo capacity

The European cylinder as opposed to the Japanese cylinder? I don't know.

[decimon]

This thing doesn't have a docking capacity....WTF??? HTV Briefing Page

Yeah, but that says they'll be a big Canuck up there to dock the thing.

[Arkinsaw]

The space race is pretty much over. We have plans but are fairly unlikely to implement them in the long haul due to the political climate. Our current "long term" commitment is nothing but window dressing until it sustains the budgets over the years to become operational. History shows that whatever plans we announce now will be scaled down over time. I am thinking a scaled down version of what we have already announced is not going to be that impressive.

Russians are doing our heavy hauling for us and we are going to buy equipment from Japan. Like everything else, we are now pretty much a customer.

[RightWhale]

Japan has next to no space program. Their Kibo science modules are being launched by the Space Shuttle. Once in a while they fire off an H-2A,but for such a rich country they are doing little. The H-2 is a hydrogen/oxygen rocket like Delta.

[Paleo Conservative]

What the heck is wrong with this picture?

I can't understand why NASA never developed the unmanned shuttle variants they proposed in the late 1980's after teh Challenger disaster? They could use the same infrastucture delevoped for the shuttle but wouldn't subject humans to launch risks. Such a system could launch about 200,000 pounds into LEO. I always thought the shuttle launch system was rather wasteful, because most of the mass delivered to orbit and the energy expended to launch it got wasted every time the shuttle orbiter returned to Earth.

[Paleo Conservative]

The H-2 is a hydrogen/oxygen rocket like Delta.

That's right. It is actually a licensed copy of they Delta not the Titan.

[RightWhale]

Democrats. They are anti-technology. Pres Bush was doing fine until he announced the return to the moon at the Kitty Hawk ceremony. From that moment it was open season on Republicans.

[xDGx]

They don’t have regulations forcing them to put incompetent stooges in high-level positions to meet AA quotas.

[Former Proud Canadian]

I blame Nixon, Carter, and Clinton. None of them had the vision to continue the space program.

In hindsight, the Saturn V production line should have been kept operating. That kind of big lift vehicle was perfect to loft pieces of a space station into orbit. NASA could have used smaller rockets to supply the station and ferry astronauts.

Now, to get back to the moon, they are reinventing the wheel.

[Iron Munro]

It's another sign of our fall.

Maybe the USA should get them to build and operate construction cranes in our cities.

[KevinDavis]

This is the Space Ping List.. Let me know if you want on or off this list!!

[BallyBill]

On the “Space Week” shows someone pointed out that if we challenged the USA to recreate the effort we did to put man on the moon in the ‘60’s, they would tell you it wasn't safe and couldn't be done.

[RightWhale]

It was Congress. The House of Representatives initiated the Apollo moon program. JFK announced it when Congress appeared ready to fund it.

Congress killed the Apollo moon progran, the SCSC, ITER, the DoE program of fuel alternatives. The Pres has the power to repeal the 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty himself alone. There is plenty of blame to spread around, all had a hand in it and still do.

[spanalot]

What a sad day.

[shorty_harris]

On the “Space Week” shows someone pointed out that if we challenged the USA to recreate the effort we did to put man on the moon in the ‘60’s, they would tell you it wasn't safe and couldn't be done.

You got that right. Where I work, NASA is known as the National Accounting and Safety Administration.

[supercat]

I always thought the shuttle launch system was rather wasteful, because most of the mass delivered to orbit and the energy expended to launch it got wasted every time the shuttle orbiter returned to Earth.

The Shuttle has a unique ability to take large objects out of orbit without destroying them. There are times when this is useful (e.g. to allow a large object that's in orbit to be examined by people on Earth). I have no objection to using the Shuttle for those missions of which it alone is capable. It seems, however, that only a small portion of Shuttle missions use the craft for such purposes. When it isn't necessary to bring large cargoes to Earth, the extra cost and weight of a spacecraft that can return to Earth in one piece are wasted.

[Cheetahcat]

Maybe the USA should get them to build and operate construction cranes in our cities.

Levies and highway bridges also.

[jmcenanly]

It is more like a supplement for the Russian Progress or European ATV. This can bring supplies up to the Station, but only the Shuttle and Orion will be able to get things back down.

[SunkenCiv]

The H-2 Transfer Vehicle (HTV), which costs about 14 billion yen ($131 million) each, is being developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and domestic companies including Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd and Mitsubishi Electric Corp, the Yomiuri said.

By the time NASA cuts the checks, they'll be $500 million each. ;')

[SunkenCiv]

First Moon Landing, One Shot, 1969, Apollo 11
[don’t mention the Skylab launch, causes strokes]
You Tube | 07/20/08 | Kevin Davis
Posted on 07/20/2008 11:45:57 AM PDT by KevinDavis
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2048455/posts

[JSteff]

“What the heck is wrong with this picture?”

Viewed from the proper perspective, nothing.

We beat the snot out of them in a war. We taught them capitalism and open markets. They learned our lessons well. Now they are a valuable ally and trading partner.

Victory.

[JSteff]

“What the heck is wrong with this picture?”

Viewed from the proper perspective, nothing.

We beat the snot out of them in a war. We taught them capitalism and open markets. They learned our lessons well. Now they are a valuable ally and trading partner.

Victory.