Colorado Springs – NASA and aerospace industry leaders including Lockheed Martin Corp. say they are making progress on plans for the Orion crew exploration vehicle and its launch vehicle, but are concerned about funding for plans to launch Orion, return to the moon and go on to Mars.
“There are a lot of conflicting budget requests,” said John Karas, vice president and general manager of human space flight for Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., whose headquarters is in Jefferson County.
“I think we have some good support, but we also have some challenges,” he told attendees at the National Space Symposium, which runs through Thursday at The Broadmoor.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is discussing with Lockheed Martin how the firm will adjust its plans for crew-exploration-vehicle development, said Doug Cooke, NASA deputy associate administrator for the exploration systems mission directorate. Lockheed’s planned 2011 launch date is “a lot earlier than we’re able to do, so we’re adjusting all that. Now’s the time to do it.”
NASA administrator Mike Griffin has voiced concern about delays in the crew exploration vehicle’s flights that will be caused by a shortfall in NASA funding.
“Nothing is a given,” Cooke said. “We are making decisions that are not reversible,” like winding down the manufacturing of external tanks. “The shuttle will stop flying.”
NASA officials are concerned about the gap between the retirement of the shuttle and the start of manned missions with Orion. The agency has put much of its planning for robotic missions on hold because of funding problems.
NASA has begun testing Orion’s landing and other capabilities, and plans to finish awarding contracts for Orion’s launch vehicle by the end of this year. Numerous aerospace companies are competing for those contracts.
In a keynote speech at the symposium, Lockheed Martin chief executive Robert Stevens said NASA’s $17.3 billion proposed 2008 budget is less than annual sales of candy and gum and less than half what Americans spend on their pets.
“We cannot preserve space leadership without sustained investment,” Stevens said.
Staff writer Kelly Yamanouchi can be reached at kyamanouchi@denverpost.com or 303-954-1488.
