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Vision for Space Exploration

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Cover page of report of Aldridge Commission, Report of the President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy, 2004

TheVision for Space Exploration(VSE) was a plan for space exploration announced on January 14, 2004 by PresidentGeorge W. Bush.It was conceived as a response to theSpace ShuttleColumbiadisaster,the state ofhuman spaceflightatNASA,and as a way to regain public enthusiasm forspace exploration.[1]

The policy outlined by the "Vision for Space Exploration"was replaced first by PresidentBarack Obama'sspace policyin April 2010, then by PresidentDonald Trump's "National Space Strategy"space policyin March 2018, and finally by PresidentJoe Biden'spreliminary space policy proposalsin spring 2021.

Outline[edit]

The Vision for Space Exploration sought to implement a sustained and affordable human and robotic program to explore theSolar Systemand beyond; extend human presence across the Solar System, starting with a human return to the Moon by the year 2020, in preparation for human exploration of Mars and other destinations; develop the innovative technologies, knowledge, and infrastructures both to explore and to support decisions about the destinations for human exploration; and to promote international and commercial participation in exploration to further U.S. scientific, security, and economic interests.[2]

In pursuit of these goals, the Vision called for the space program to complete theInternational Space Stationby 2010; retire theSpace Shuttleby 2010; develop a newCrew Exploration Vehicle(later renamedOrion) by 2008, and conduct its first human spaceflight mission by 2014; explore theMoonwithrobotic spacecraftmissions by 2008 and crewed missions by 2020, and use lunar exploration to develop and test new approaches and technologies useful for supporting sustained exploration of Mars and beyond; exploreMarsand other destinations with robotic and crewed missions; pursue commercial transportation to support the International Space Station and missions beyond low Earth orbit.[2][3]

Outlining some of the advantages,U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush addressed the following:[3]

Establishing an extended human presence on the moon could vastly reduce the costs of further space exploration, making possible ever more ambitious missions. Lifting heavy spacecraft and fuel out of the Earth's gravity is expensive. Spacecraft assembled and provisioned on the moon could escape its far lower gravity using far less energy, and thus, far less cost. Also, the moon is home to abundant resources. Its soil contains raw materials that might be harvested and processed into rocket fuel or breathable air. We can use our time on the moon to develop and test new approaches and technologies and systems that will allow us to function in other, more challenging environments.

One of the stated goals for theConstellation programis to gain significant experience in operating away fromEarth's environment,[4]as theWhite Housecontended, to embody a "sustainable course of long-term exploration."[5]TheAres boostersare a cost-effective approach[6]— entailing theAres V's enormous, unprecedented cargo-carrying capacity[7]— transporting future space exploration resources to the Moon's[6]weakergravity field.[8]While simultaneously serving as a proving ground for a wide range of space operations and processes, the Moon may serve as a cost-effective construction, launching and fueling site for futurespace explorationmissions.[9]For example, future Ares V missions could cost-effectively[6]deliverraw materialsfor futurespacecraftand missions to a Moon-based[6]space dockpositioned as acounterweightto a Moon-basedspace elevator.[10]

Two planned configurations for a return to the Moon, heavy lift (left) and crew (right)

NASA has also outlined plans for human missions to thefar side of the Moon.[11]All of the Apollo missions have landed on the near side. Unique products may be producible in the nearly limitless extremevacuumof the lunar surface, and the Moon's remoteness is the ultimate isolation forbiologically hazardousexperiments. The Moon would become a proving ground also toward the development ofIn-Situ Resource Utilization,or "living off the land" (i.e., self-sufficiency) for permanent human outposts.

In a position paper issued by theNational Space Society(NSS), a return to the Moon should be considered a highspace programpriority, to begin development of the knowledge and identification of the industries unique to the Moon. The NSS believes that the Moon may be a repository of the history and possible future of our planet, and that the sixApollolandings only scratched the surface of that "treasure". According to NSS, the Moon's far side, permanently shielded from the noisy Earth, is an ideal site for futureradio astronomy(for example, signals in the 1–10 MHz range cannot be detected on Earth because ofionosphereinterference[12]).

When the Vision was announced in January 2004, theU.S. Congressand the scientific community gave it a mix of positive and negative reviews. For example, Rep.Dave Weldon(R-Fla.) said, "I think this is the best thing that has happened to the space program in decades." Though physicist and outspokencrewed spaceflight opponentRobert L. Parkstated that robotic spacecraft "are doing so well it's going to be hard to justify sending a human,"[5]thevisionannounced by the President states that "robotic missions will serve as trailblazers—the advanced guard to the unknown."[3]Others, such as theMars Society,have argued that it makes more sense to avoid going back to the Moon and instead focus on going to Mars first.[13]

Vision for Space Exploration ship concept

Throughout much of 2004, it was unclear whether the U.S. Congress would be willing to approve and fund the Vision for Space Exploration. However, in November 2004, Congress passed aspending billwhich gave NASA the $16.2 billion that President Bush had sought to kick-start the Vision. According to then-NASA chiefSean O'Keefe,that spending bill "was as strong an endorsement of the space exploration vision, as any of us could have imagined."[14]In 2005, Congress passed S.1281, theNASA Authorization Act of 2005,which explicitly endorses the Vision.[15]

Former NASA AdministratorMichael Griffinis a big supporter of the Vision, but modified it somewhat, saying that he wants to reduce the four-year gap between the retirement of the Space Shuttle and the first crewed mission of the Crew Exploration Vehicle.[16]

Lunar Architecture[edit]

NASA's "Lunar Architecture" forms a key part of its Global Exploration Strategy, also known as the Vision for Space Exploration. The first part of the Lunar Architecture is theLunar Reconnaissance Orbiter,which launched in June 2009 on board anAtlas V.The preliminary design review was completed in February 2006 and the critical design review was completed in November 2006. An important function of the orbiter will be to look for further evidence that the increased concentrations of hydrogen discovered at the Moon's poles is in the form oflunar ice.After this thelunar flightswill make use of the newAres Iand Ares V rockets.[17]

Critical perspectives[edit]

NASA's 2004 budget projections for the Vision for Space Exploration

In December 2003,Apollo 11astronautBuzz Aldrinvoiced criticism for NASA's vision and objectives, stating that the goal of sending astronauts back to the Moon was "more like reaching for past glory than striving for new triumphs".[18]

In February 2009, the Aerospace Technology Working Group released an in-depth report asserting that the Vision had several fundamental problems with regard to politics, financing, and general space policy issues and that the initiative should be rectified or replaced.[19]

Another concern noted is that funding for VSE could instead be harnessed to advance science and technology, such as in aeronautics, commercial spacecraft and launch vehicle technology, environmental monitoring, and biomedical sciences.[20]However, VSE itself is poised to propel a host of beneficialMoon scienceactivities, including lunar telescopes, selenological studies and solar energy beams.

With or without VSE, human spaceflight will be made sustainable. However, without VSE, more funds could be directed toward reducing human spaceflight costs sufficiently for the betterment oflow Earth orbitresearch, business, and tourism.[20]Alternatively, VSE could afford advances in other scientific research (astronomy,selenology),in-situlunar business industries, and lunar-space tourism.

The VSE budget required termination the Space Shuttle by 2010 and of any US role in the International Space Station by 2017. This would have required, even in the most optimistic plans, in a period of years without human spaceflight capability from the US. Termination of the Space Shuttle program, without any planned alternatives, in 2011 ended virtually all US capability for reusable launch vehicles. This severely limited any future of low Earth orbit or deep space exploration. Ultimately, the lack of proper funding caused the VSE to fall short of its original goals, leaving many projects behind schedule as President George W. Bush's term in office ended.

"The damage done to America and the rest of the world by unsustainable deficits is real, and any lack of zeal in facing this problem would be a mistake. In that context, this would be a good time for Congress to look again at Bush's plans for NASA to re-establish a human presence in deep space. The outgoing Republican Congress gave its Republican president too much benefit of the doubt on this undertaking. The new Congress must, at the very least, articulate more convincing reasons than have yet been heard for such a colossal expenditure."[21]

"A large portion of the scientific community" concurs that NASA is not "expanding our scientific understanding of the universe" in "the most effective or cost-efficient way."[Tumlinson 1]Proponents for VSE argue that a permanent settlement on the moon would drastically reduce costs for further space exploration missions. President George W. Bush voiced this sentiment when the vision was first announced (see quote above), and theUnited States Senatehas re-entered testimony[Tumlinson 1]bySpace Frontier FoundationfounderRick Tumlinsonoffered previously to theUnited States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportationadvocating this particular perspective.[Tumlinson 1]The reason that theNational Space Societyregards a return to the Moon as a highspace programpriority is to begin development of the knowledge and identification of the industries unique to the Moon, because "such industries can provide economic leverage and support for NASA activities, saving the government millions."[Tumlinson 2]

As Tumlinson additionally notes, the goal is to "open space... to human settlement... to create ways to harvest the resources... not only saving this precious planet, but also... assuring our survival."[Tumlinson 3]Regarding "the Moon, NASA should support early exploration now...."[Tumlinson 4]

Mars vision[edit]

Interplanetary human transport[edit]

A human-spaceflight interplanetary spacecraft arrives near planet Mars.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^"President Bush Announces New Vision for Space Exploration Program".NASA.20 January 2004.Retrieved14 October2021.
  2. ^ab"The Vision for Space Exploration"(PDF).NASA.February 2004. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on October 25, 2004.RetrievedDecember 5,2009.
  3. ^abc"President Bush Announces New Vision for Space Exploration Program".NASA.January 14, 2004.RetrievedJune 17,2009.
  4. ^Connolly, John F. (October 2006)."Constellation Program Overview"(PDF).Constellation Program Office. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on July 10, 2007.RetrievedMay 8,2013.
  5. ^ab"FAQ: Bush's New Space Vision".space. 19 September 2005.RetrievedFebruary 7,2008.
  6. ^abcd"NASA - Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle".NASA.April 29, 2009. Archived fromthe originalon November 5, 2008.RetrievedMay 13,2009.
  7. ^Creech, Steve and Phil Sumrall."Ares V: Refining a New Heavy Lift Capability".NASA.
  8. ^Williams, Dr. David R. (February 2, 2006)."Moon Fact Sheet".NASA(National Space Science Data Center).RetrievedDecember 31,2008.
  9. ^P. J. Van Susante; B. Imhof; S. Mohanty; H.J. Rombaut; J. Volp (December 1, 2002).Highlights on Lunar Base Designs(PDF)(Report). Archived fromthe original(PDF)on July 4, 2010.RetrievedFebruary 16,2010.
  10. ^Pearson, Jerome; Eugene Levin; John Oldson & Harry Wykes (2005)."Lunar Space Elevators for Cislunar Space Development Phase I Final Technical Report"(PDF).
  11. ^Leake, Jonathan (March 19, 2006)."Nasa to put man on far side of moon".Times Online.Times Newspapers.RetrievedFebruary 16,2010.
  12. ^LIFE on MoonArchived2010-03-25 at theWayback Machine
  13. ^"The Mars Society Frequently Asked Questions".marssociety.org. Archived fromthe originalon January 26, 2008.RetrievedFebruary 7,2008.
  14. ^"Congress Grants $16.2 Billion Budget for NASA".space. Archived fromthe originalon September 13, 2005.RetrievedFebruary 7,2008.
  15. ^"NASA Authorization Act"(PDF).gpo.gov.RetrievedFebruary 7,2008.
  16. ^"A Message From Administrator Michael Griffin".nasa.gov. Archived fromthe originalon September 13, 2005.RetrievedFebruary 7,2008.
  17. ^"NASA Unveils Global Exploration Strategy and Lunar Architecture".NASA. 2006. Archived fromthe originalon 2007-08-23.
  18. ^Aldrin, Buzz (December 5, 2003)."Fly Me To L1".The New York Times.Archived fromthe originalon July 23, 2009.RetrievedNovember 14,2009.
  19. ^Hsu, Feng; Cox, Ken (February 20, 2009)."Sustainable Space Exploration and Space Development - A Unified Strategic Vision".Aerospace Technology Working Group.RetrievedOctober 9,2009.
  20. ^abWoodard, Daniel (2009)."Practical Benefits for America"(PDF).Archived fromthe original(PDF)on October 28, 2009.RetrievedNovember 28,2009.
  21. ^Cowing, Keith (16 November 2006)."Nature of Funding the VSE".NASA Watch.Retrieved2014-04-24.
  22. ^"Photo-jsc2004e18853".spaceflight.nasa.gov.Archived fromthe originalon 17 November 2004.Retrieved13 January2022.
  23. ^"Photo-jsc2004e18859".spaceflight.nasa.gov.Archived fromthe originalon 18 November 2004.Retrieved13 January2022.
  1. ^abcp. 8.
  2. ^p. 13.
  3. ^pp. 6–7.
  4. ^p. 14.

External links[edit]