NASA’s Orion spacecraft reaches the moon, flying 81 miles above the surface

Re:NASA’s Orion spacecraft reaches the moon, flying 81 miles... by ceejayoz on Tuesday November 22, 2022 @09:17AM (#33706010)

The commercial programs have seen significant expansion in scope and spending as their benefits have become clear. The lunar landing contract to SpaceX is a great example of such.

Astra, Rocket Lab, etc. have to demonstrate capability to move up the ladder.

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Re:NASA’s Orion spacecraft reaches the moon, flying 81 miles... by panick21_ on Tuesday November 22, 2022 @09:55AM (#33706470)

Yeah but if NASA didn't need to spend 4-5 billion $ a year on SLS/Orion many more other projects would come available.

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Re:NASA’s Orion spacecraft reaches the moon, flying 81 miles... by ceejayoz on Tuesday November 22, 2022 @10:53AM (#33707071)

Again, I doubt it. NASA funding doesn't really work that way. They don't get a big bucket of funds to distribute as they please. SLS was the pet project of a number of powerful Senators, to the point where the joke is it's the "Senate Launch System", and has been specifically appropriated for by Congress.

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Re:NASA’s Orion spacecraft reaches the moon, flying 81 miles... by panick21_ on Tuesday November 22, 2022 @11:19AM (#33707414)

There are ALWAYS politicians who are happy to give the money to their project. The idea that NASA budget would go down by 5 billion $ without SLS/Orion isn't really credible in my opinion. Some projects would be done, because Senators in space states wouldn't want the budget to just get lost.

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