Next Generation
NASA recently held a two-day summit on the Shuttle Life Extension Program, designed to figure out how to best make improvements to the Space Shuttle to keep the fleet flying safely for another 15 to 20 years (or more).
This is one of O'Keefe's policies that came under heavy criticism, which has only increased since the loss of Columbia. For years and years, NASA has been working on a successor to the Space Shuttle, thus far with little to show for it. While O'Keefe didn't stop that effort entirely, he did push it way down the priority list. Basically, it was a huge investment, it showed little return (much of the technology proposed for next-generation shuttles was proving to be not particularly mature), and it wasn't necessary. We already have a Shuttle that has life left in it, we don't need another now.
I fully support O'Keefe's decision, though I would likely go another step further. To me, the question is less "when" NASA needs another Shuttle, but "if" it does. The Shuttle is useful for its original purpose, building the International Space Station. But the Station should be largely finished within the lifespan of the current fleet. It's useful as an orbiting microgravity science lab, but the Station has the potential to be far better at it. The Shuttle is useful for ferrying people to and from Low Earth Orbit (LEO), but the Orbital Space Plane being developed now will be able to do that. So essentially the Shuttle becomes a heavy launch vehicle, a less-powerful Saturn V with return capability.
So why do we need to build a deluxe LEO cargo truck?
In my opinion, what we need to be working on now (or at least in the time frame we would have been working on a next-gen RLV), is something with new capabilities--something to get us out of LEO. Maybe even something that GOES somewhere. But, as usual, they never as me.

:: :: 09:22 :: David :: [permalink] ::