Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@zoo.toronto.edu (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: After Endeavour, what then?
Message-ID: <1991May5.014757.15839@zoo.toronto.edu>
Date: Sun, 5 May 1991 01:47:57 GMT
References: <346.281f448d@mwk.uucp> <1991May4.081930.14921@agate.berkeley.edu> <1991May4.213944.7721@zoo.toronto.edu> <HESKETT.91May4202553@polymnia.titan.tsd.arlut.utexas.edu>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology

In article <HESKETT.91May4202553@polymnia.titan.tsd.arlut.utexas.edu> heskett@titan.tsd.arlut.utexas.edu (Donald Heskett) writes:
>> I give the X-30 itself only a 50% chance of flying by [2010]...
>
>Why so pessimistic?  Most of the reports so far in "Aviation Week"
>about the progress of NASP seem to be that research is going better
>than expected...

Technically the program is in fine shape.  But by X-plane standards it is
staggeringly expensive.  Congress is increasingly reluctant to spend that
much on a pure research project, and the White House is correspondingly
reluctant to ask for it.  The X-30 effort has already been hit with "you
may be ready to build it but we're not ready to pay for it; go away and
improve the technology for a few years and ask us again" once.  It would
not be at all surprising if this happens repeatedly.
-- 
And the bean-counter replied,           | Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
"beans are more important".             |  henry@zoo.toronto.edu  utzoo!henry
