X-Message-Number: 15785 From: "Mark Plus" <> Subject: "NASA cuts hurt space port hopes" Date: Fri, 02 Mar 2001 17:58:46 -0800 NASA's decision has economic consequences in my neighborhood -- MP. Link to, http://www.sbcsun.com/S-ASP-BIN/REF/Index.asp?PUID=3936&Indx=705811 Article last updated: Friday, March 02, 2001 1:04 AM MST NASA cuts hurt space port hopes ANDREW SILVA NASA on Thursday announced it has cut funding for the X-33, the test ship that San Bernardino County officials hoped would evolve into the next generation of space shuttle and be based at Harper Dry Lake northwest of Barstow. The X-33 was a joint project of Lockheed Martin and NASA, and was designed to be a scaled-down test vehicle for the later development of VentureStar, which would ferry cargo and people into space at one-tenth the cost of the current shuttle fleet. "We're disappointed. We've been optimistic we would receive funding under NASA's Space Launch Initiative to continue development of the X-33," said Evan McCollum, spokesman for Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. in Denver. The Space Launch Initiative is a competitive process run by NASA to develop the next generation of reusable space ships to replace the aging shuttle fleet. The space agency plans to award $900 million during the next 21/2 years. County officials remain optimistic that Harper Dry Lake could one day become the space port for the next generation of shuttle, whatever form it takes. "It's always been the county's intention to forge ahead with the space port regardless of which vehicle becomes the new space (shuttle)," county spokesman David Wert said. "If it's not the X-33 and VentureStar, it will be something else." Harper Dry Lake last year was selected as the best site in California for the new launch complex. But several other states are still competing. The county recently received $800,000 from the California Space and Technology Alliance for studies required by the Federal Aviation Administration. Still unclear is how the decision might affect San Bernardino-based Kelly Space and Technology, which is developing a reusable launch vehicle. "It's too early to speculate on anything," said Bob Davis, president and chief executive officer of the company. "This is a highly competitive issue and we don't know how it will impact us." The X-33 suffered a major setback in November 1999 when a fuel tank made of composite materials failed a test. Last year, Lockheed decided to go ahead with using an aluminum tank. But the technology apparently wasn't advancing far enough or quickly enough for NASA. "The benefits of testing the X-33 in flight did not justify the cost," NASA said in a press release. NASA has invested $912 million in the program and Lockheed has spent $357 million. Lockheed's McCollum said it's unlikely the company would try to continue the project with its own money, but it is competing for several other parts of the Space Launch Initiative, including propulsion, avionics and thermal protection. "Whatever NASA chooses, Lockheed Martin wants to help develop it," he said. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1999-2001 MediaNews Group, Inc. _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=15785