NASA has postponed its Systems Requirements Review of the Space Launch Initiative, the program responsible for developing technologies, systems, architectures and cost estimates to enable an informed decision to proceed with a second generation reusable launch vehicle.
The Systems Requirements Review was scheduled to begin in November.
NASA will reschedule the review when the agency completes its assessment of its Integrated Space Transportation Plan, ascertains the role of the Department of Defense in the SLI, determines the future requirements of the International Space Station and firms up the agency’s future space transportation needs.
The move comes among mounting budget pressures on the Shuttle and Space Station programs which will eat up 51.18 percent of this year’s budget and at least 48.17 percent in next year’s budget.
But the reality is more money will be needed to complete ISS and enable the international partners to participate. But critically the big issue is the dependence on Russian Soyuz vehicles as the ISS lifeboat.
It is now clear that the need to build a new Crew Return Vehicle that can return up to seven people back to Earth is the most urgent need for NASA’s space transportation development budget if the ISS program is to continue in it anything approaching its current form.
The likely outcome will be that most of the SLI funding in the Advanced Space Transportation’s 2nd Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle Program budget that is set to increase from $467 million this year to $759 next year will be shifted into developing a Crew Return Vehicle.
This would still leave $120.2 in the Space Transportation & Launch Technology budget that is quietly supporting rocket science development work in smaller companies.
In theory, it should be straight forward for either Boeing or Lockheed Martin to build a reentry shuttle for seven to get back down safely. In fact, Congress could get creative and make it a competition to supply up to 5 orbital lifeboats.
Then again, Congress could decide to save a truckload of cash and just buy a 10 year contract with Russia to supply Soyuz vehicles and keep two on station and run the station with six permanent berths on station and stay focused on building a launch system to replace the shuttle next decade.
Whatever the decision, lots of reports will get written and lots of money will be spent on building things that will never spend a moment in outerspace.
