Permanent moonbase by 2021 using Spacex & Bigelow the obvious non-corrupt choice

[Buster's Uncle]

Big permanent moonbase by 2021 using Spacex and Bigelow has been the obvious non-corrupt choice for years
nextBIGFuture  February 26, 2017



The Space Launch System program needs to be killed


 
Howard Bloom makes the obvious case that if NASA wants to return to the moon they need to ditch the Space Launch System and go with Spacex and the Falcon Heavy and Falcon 9 launchers.

Nextbigfuture and any other honest source have pointed out that the Space Launch system is a massive waste of money.

 The combined development cost of the SLS and Orion will be at least $30 billion -- or about $3 billion a year spread out over at least 10 years. If you consider the operational life cycle of the program will be 30 years, similar to the Space Shuttle, then, assuming just one launch per year, the pro-rated cost is $1 billion a year.

 That's just for development - it does not include operating costs.

 Again at just one launch per year, the annualized development and maintenance cost of SLS - excluding any development costs for specialized cargo or Upper Stage components -- would be at least $3 billion.

 And we're still missing the actual production costs of the SLS launch vehicle and the Orion capsule, estimates of which are around $1 billion each.

 Bloom points out that

If NASA ditched the Space Launch System and the Orion, it would free up three billion dollars a year. That budget could speed the Moon-readiness of Bigelow’s landing vehicles, not to mention SpaceX’s Falcon rockets and could pay for lunar enhancements to manned Dragon 2 capsules. In fact, three billion dollars a year is far greater than what Bigelow and Musk would need. That budget would also allow NASA to bring Jeff Bezos into the race. And it would let NASA refocus its energy on earth-orbit and lunar-surface refueling stations…plus rovers, lunar construction equipment, and devices to turn lunar ice into rocket fuel, drinkable water, and breathable oxygen. Not to mention machines to turn lunar dust and rock into building materials.

 Bigelow Aerospace has been developing inflatable Moon Base, that would use three of his 330-cubic-meter B330 modules. What’s more, Bigelow has been developing a landing vehicle to bring his modules gently down to the Moon’s surface.

 The Space Development Steering Committee—estimate the total cost of Moon landings plus a permanent moon base at ten billion dollars

 The most expensive version of the Spacex Falcon heavy will be about $135 million.

 It has not been a close comparison. It is over ten times difference in price. The only reason not to do kill the Space Launch System is because of corruption in the funding decision processes.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmvcgcD9N2c" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmvcgcD9N2c</a>

http://www.nextbigfuture.com/2017/02/big-permanent-moonbase-by-2021-using.html

[Unorthodox]

Apples and oranges. 

The SLS is a semi truck, the Falcon heavy is a pickup truck, Falcon 9 is a commuter car.  Then complain they are not in the same pricing market?  Really? 


As for Bigelow, I'll reserve judgement to see how their test environment passes it's year in space.