Bye-bye Bridenstine: Outgoing chief leaves NASA in good shape, though Boots on Moon by '24 goal looks doubtful
- Reference: 1611231380
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2021/01/21/bye_bye_bridenstine/
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Bridenstine's departure was somewhat inevitable. He [1]began work in 2018 under the Trump administration and has stepped down with the inauguration of a new US president. During almost three years of service, he witnessed the [2]dramatic Soyuz MS-10 abort and the US regain its domestic human launch capability.
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While Bridenstine oversaw impressive achievements in the robotic exploration world (he leaves just weeks before the Perseverance rover is due to land on Mars), he will also be remembered for his close association with NASA's Artemis programme, which was set the goal by the Trump administration of returning [4]humans to the Moon by 2024.
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Ad astra ... Jim Bridenstine has left the building
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The incoming Biden administration has yet to outline its own plans, and many within NASA will be hoping the agency will not be forced to start from scratch yet again. A return to the Moon does enjoy some cross-party support, although that did not extend to signing off on the [7]$3.4bn [PDF] requested for the Human Landing System needed to deposit astronauts on the regolith. The actual funding approved by lawmakers last month fell somewhat short of that, with less than a billion allocated.
Engineers blame 'intentionally conservative' test parameters for premature end to Space Launch System hotfire [8]READ MORE
The shortfall pretty much ruled out a landing by 2024. The likely need to repeat the firing of the SLS core stage engines ( [9]following the recent truncated test ) means it's doubtful the first uncrewed Artemis launch will happen in 2021, let alone getting fresh bootprints on the Moon by 2024. It won't fall to Bridenstine to announce the latest delay, that job may well be given to [10]acting administrator Steve Jurczyk .
Bridenstine must be commended, however, for driving the Artemis programme forward. NASA's budget, while not what was hoped for, has increased and at least includes something for that lunar lander, although some scientists will be looking for a change of tack on areas such as climate science. Bridenstine's sceptical views on climate change raised more than a few eyebrows [11]when he was nominated to replace then outgoing administrator Charlie Bolden.
Over the last few years, the Trump administration has made [12]several attempts to remould NASA to focus more on the Moon and exploration. The whole Moon or Mars thing "put us in conflict in the House of Representatives between Republicans and Democrats," Bridenstine explained before going on to praise the Artemis programme for combining the two.
It has been my great honor to serve as your [13]@NASA Administrator. I will miss the amazing NASA family and will forever be grateful for my time at this incredible agency. Ad astra. [14]pic.twitter.com/Zba4MTawPV — Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) [15]January 20, 2021
In an emotional farewell, he paid tribute to the "amazing people within NASA" and ended his address by saying: "When a new team comes in, give them all your support because they need it, they deserve it and of course what we're trying to do... we're not only crossing multiple administrations but multi-decade and multi-generational."
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Born in 1975, Bridenstine was the first NASA administrator not to have seen humans walk on the Moon. One can but hope he will be the last. ®
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[1] https://www.theregister.com/2017/09/05/trump_appoints_climate_change_skeptic_nasa/
[2] https://www.theregister.com/2019/01/09/2018_in_space/
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_science/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2YAmzK4UwQVacDGZ84u1HaQAAAMM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[4] https://www.theregister.com/2020/03/11/nasa_space_launch_system_audit/
[5] https://regmedia.co.uk/2021/01/21/shutterstock_bridenstine.jpg
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_science/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33YAmzK4UwQVacDGZ84u1HaQAAAMM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/fy2021_congressional_justification.pdf
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2021/01/19/sls_initial_data/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2021/01/19/sls_initial_data/
[10] https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/about_us/bios/jurczyk_bio.html
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2017/09/05/trump_appoints_climate_change_skeptic_nasa/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2018/02/12/nasa_budget_climate_iss_moon/
[13] https://twitter.com/NASA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[14] https://t.co/Zba4MTawPV
[15] https://twitter.com/JimBridenstine/status/1351917625715130368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
[16] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_science/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44YAmzK4UwQVacDGZ84u1HaQAAAMM&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[17] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Bridenstine's marching orders?
From Netflix's Space Force, referring to a tweet from the President:
He calls for "boobs on the moon," but they're pretty sure he means "boots on the moon.
Re: Bridenstine's marching orders?
But even "boots on the moon" doesn't necessitate any human to be wearing them...
Re: Bridenstine's marching orders?
Boots on the moon? Bad enough finding an open store in London.
It's Thursday.
Lost leadership
The U.S. will lose its leadership in space exploration if the Biden Administration curtails Artemis, which I believe they'll do just out of spite.
Re: Lost leadership
Really? I think the current state of the program is... somewhat... not that great. It is over budget and delayed, despite using a lot of old technology (oh sorry, "proven technology", except it doesn't seem to be). Looking at what the private sector has achieved so far makes my mind boggle. _There_ is your leadership in space technology!
Plus look at the speed at which China and India are putting stuff on other celestial bodies, I very much doubt that without the strong funding and strong focus on a single goal (put human boots on the moon in this decade, or something along these lines) - and taking the risk that goes with it - the US (or any Western nation) will be able to keep up.
Do I like it? No, but I can totally see reasons for calling quits that have nothing to do with "spite".
Re: Lost leadership
But what would you rather have, robot probes landing on asteroids and bringing back samples or swimming around the oceans of Jupiters moons - or some crew cut space marine saluting the flag on the moon on live TV
Re: Lost leadership
Artemis is a white elephant, a pointless flag-waving exercise in wasting money that would never deliver a permanent presence beyond LEO.
It looked increasingly like Bridenstine was keeping it on life support because of its political value, while new space developed the capability to do everything the SLS is supposed to do but for a fraction of the cost, with reusable hardware. It's just a shame that Blue Origin didn't step up as well as SpaceX and create a robust commercial space ecosystem that Boeing/ULA's pork barrel oligopoly couldn't crush. I think Bezos might regret dragging his heels.
The big risk is that Biden will use manned spaceflight as a trading chip in the House and Senate, and waste the progress towards making manned spaceflight a commercially-sustainable and affordable reality.
IMO, Bridenstine is the only Trump appointee that Trump-haters like myself will miss.
Re: Lost leadership
> Artemis is a white elephant
Artemis is a jobs program, which is why it'll continue. There's a piece of the Artemis pie in all the Senator's back yards.
Rather get JWST up there. In one piece.
Been there done that..
Until space travel is closer to perfection, humans no longer have business traveling to other places space, we've gone into space, visited the moon, some have died in the process. We now know what space can to the human body, The advance in technology since the 60s and 70s rules out the need for human lives to be risked. Sure, head out the to front yard and play in the space station, but don't cross the street...
Re: Been there done that..
I love people that say "we don't need to do X, until X is closer to perfection."
A friend says this about electric vehicles. "We shouldn't spend money on EVs until we have perfect batteries"
So we'll magically perfect X without spending any effort working on it?
Boeing are working hard on getting the SLS ready. They'll get the boots on the moon in time, and the legs on Mars, and the arms in polar orbit...