NASA's new Constellation program has been canceled - The future is unknown

This is not a rumor any more, but as the matter of fact it is clear by now that NASA's new Constellation program has been canceled. The cancellation of that program surely brings up many questions, one of them is, how much longer will it take NASA to develop those new vehicles? Will NASA return to the moon at 2020? And so on. NASA's new constellation program which features the Ares I, Ares V, and the Orion capsule has been canceled as for the reason of which they run on the same type of technology as the space shuttles, which as we know is very expansive. So what NASA is going to do next is to develop new type of technologies, new type of space vehicles, that will for example be able to refuel while in space, or even use beaming up energy from the ground to the space vehicle and so on. And NASA will depend on private space companies such as SpaceX. But the thing is, developing a new type of space vehicle would take at least 10 years just to develop, then there will be testing, that's about 5 more years, and only then they might conduct missions.

So I would speculate that NASA will return to the moon somewhere in between 2025 and 2030 by the best. And to Mars, I would say somewhere between 2040 and 2050 (manned missions). The cancellation of that Constellation program is surely slowing our space program down, who could have thought.

And so now the space shuttles are going to retire, plus the constellation program has been canceled. So where exactly are we at?

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[TheFutureIsRightHere]

I think that president Obama is actually trying to save NASA's budget by forwarding the launching vehicles to private companies such as SpaceX. So don't worry, in 5 years they'll have cheaper, safer, and better launch vehicles. It turns out to be way more expensive for NASA to develop and construct all of these on its own and on the gov't taxes, but private companies will afford it.

[TromboneUSAlabama]

Why don't we just rebuild the Saturn V it would save a lot of time.

[TheFutureIsRightHere]

That's exactly what the Constellation program was doing, taking concepts from the Saturn V and the Space Shuttle, but it seems to be too expensive which is why it has been canceled.

[JustAnAdjunct]

I have my whole life ahead of me, yet I feel like I won't live to see any notable advancement in manned space exploration. It seems every time a bit of hope comes along it all implodes in a few years. I don't really care what it is - Constellation, Direct a giant sling shot, w.e. as long as it works, because it's about time.

[jim6584]

In hindsight, just think if we didn't do the Shuttle and stuck with Apollo technology.

Can you imagine what Apollo would of evolved into with 40 years and the same $170 billion. Can you say, the reusable Saturn X? I can only dream of the capability we would have right now.

I am sure we would have a moon base.

With real heavy lift capability we would have tank sized probes on Mars.

The sad fact is, Constellation only gets us back to 1969. The shuttle cost us about 50 years.

[mashamorgan]

Private Enterprise as has been said is only going to invest to make profit, therefore space sight seeing will be the order of the day. To think where we could have been now if we had only stuck with Apollo. A shuttle matched with Saturn V always seemed to me to be ideal, We could have flew to the moon and placed 2 LEMS in the cargo bay and completed 2 missions in one leaving the shuttle in Lunar orbit. We can but dream !

[Neanderthalcouzin]

Just amazing to see it shooting off straight up into the night like that.

Where is Neil DeGrasse Tyson when you need him :(

[Neanderthalcouzin]

@TheFutureIsRightHere dont you think private companies is worse because their MO is profit, hence they are less about raw science and more about projects to attain that profit, including the more dangerous negative aspects we are all aware of like corner cutting, taking risks, and so on, which is not remotely in the dynamic with something like NASA? I don't know how such a proposal would be a good thing but I am very open to having these things explained, thx for posting the video.

[tom4705]

Obama, burn in hell....

[Baseshocks]

@JustAnAdjunct thats what they might be doing, with todays tech and the spacestation up and running why would you build a rocket that goes from earth to the moon, it makes more sence to build a dedicated ferry spaceship, launch up the parts put together at the space station and use it to go back and forth from the moon. that would save soo much money for multiple trips.

[Utenhauzen]

@TheFutureIsRightHere for the sake of Florida's economy, I hope you're right.

[Jimbob8971]

@JustAnAdjunct well the truth is even if they did land on the moon by 2019 it would not really be something special to be around for however depending on how old u are obama still wants a mars mission by 2030 now if u are around to see that well lets just say it will be something to cry about ( with happiness ) :D

[Jimbob8971]

@nccflorin23 no well not really he has only cancelled the mission to land on the moon by 2019 however he still wants us to go to mars and beyond which is understandible since we have already visited the moon.

[Jimbob8971]

@TheFutureIsRightHere ur right in my view i think obama is going to skip the moon and head straight for mars and beyond which is understandble since we have already been there.