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Sen. John McCain called for Pete Aldridge to be removed from the President's commission on how to implement the recently-announced vision for NASA. McCain cited his belief that Aldridge may have a conflict of interest due to his presence on the board of Lockheed Martin.
In the past, McCain had criticized Aldridge's decision to approve the purchase and leasing of Air Force refueling tankers from Boeing due to his "cozy relationship" with the aerospace giant.
+ McCain Calls for Change on Space Panel (Washington Post)
+ Bush urged to drop former arms buyer from board (Forbes)
Another scathing editoral, this time from noted space newspaper Florida Today, on the inadequacies of the Bush vision for space exploration and the unlikelyhood of the new initiative going as planned.
President Bush establishes the "President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy" to provide recommendations on how to carry out the vision articulated in his recent policy statement.
In addition to the previously mentioned chairman, Pete Aldridge (a former military astronaut trainee and director of the Joint Strike Fighter program), the board contains Carly Fiorina (CEO of Hewlett-Packard), Neal Tyson (Director of the Hayden Planetarium). lunar specialist Paul Spudis, and Mars researcher Maria Zuber of MIT.
+ Executive Order Creating Commission
+ Members of Commission Named
+ Space.com article highlighting members
At today's congressional hearings on the President's new space initiative, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe revealed that the name of the new "Crew Exploration Vehicle" program at NASA will be "Project Constellation".
A Boeing website has posted several artist mockups of Crew Exploration Vehicle designs, including a lunar orbiting station, a lunar landing craft, and an interplanetary spacecraft. Seen among the modular designs are inflatable habitats and the proposed Apollo-style capsule design for the CEV.
In the Community Blog on the official Campaign site for Gen. Wesley Clark, supporters discuss the new plans for a Crew Exploration Vehicle. The commentary includes links to articles on the CEV as well as supporters' thoughts on the program.
This scathing article written by Greg Easterbrook from the New Republic, attacks the logic of creating the Crew Exploration Vehicle, including the cost, timetable, and how it will be launched.
NASA announces an agency realignment in concert with Bush's new space initiative. NASA has created a new Code T office which will be responsible for the new Crew Exploration Vehicle and other technology development.
The office will be headed by retired U.S. Navy Admiral Craig E. Steidle, who formerly oversaw the Joint Strike Fighter program.
"The Office of Exploration Systems is established to set priorities and direct the identification, development, and validation of exploration systems and related technologies. Users and technologists will work together to enable a balancing of factors between requirements, program schedules and costs."
President Bush announced a new vision for the Nation's space exploration program. The President committed the United States to a long-term human and robotic program to explore the solar system, starting with a return to the Moon that will ultimately enable future exploration of Mars and other destinations.
"Our second goal is to develop and test a new spacecraft, the Crew Exploration Vehicle, by 2009, and to conduct the first manned mission no later than 2015. The Crew Exploration Vehicle will be capable of ferrying astronauts and scientists to the Space Station after the shuttle is retired. But the main purpose of this spacecraft will be to carry astronauts beyond our orbit to other worlds. This will be the first spacecraft of its kind since the Apollo Command Module. "
+ Announcement Summary (White House)
+ Renewed Spirit of Discovery (Policy Directive) (White House)
+ Transcript of Bush's Speech (White House)
+ NASA's Future: Exploration and Discovery (NASA)
Written prior to the Bush announcement, this article discusses the details surrounding the new Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) and its potential impact on other programs, such as the Space Shuttle and ISS.
In this Washington Post article, written before the Bush announcement of the CEV, the author stresses that the new craft will represent a "21st-century version" of the Apollo capsule. It also reveals the behind-the-scenes discussions between members of Congress and the administration surrounding the new vision.