The presidential panel reviewing options for NASA's human space flight program will hold its final public hearing today, and you can watch it live here in The Flame Trench.
Led by former Lockheed Martin Chairman and CEO Norman Augustine, the panel will meet from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center Amphitheater in Washington, D.C.
Committee public deliberations will include discussions of the final options the panel expects to present to the Obama Administration, the final report due in at the White House at the end of the month and activities related to wrapping up the committee's 90-day mission to review U.S. human space flight plans.
To watch, click the NASA TV box on the right side of the page. Doing so will launch our NASA TV viewer. Be sure to refresh this page, too, for periodic updates.
The panel last week narrowed its list of options to seven:
The first three fit within the Obama Administration's proposed 2010 budget, which projects $81.5 billion for U.S. human spaceflight through 2020. That’s $26.5 billion less than previous NASA budget projections.
++Stretch out Project Constellation: Fly seven remaining shuttle missions to complete International Space Station assembly by 2011. Cease U.S. government operations at the station as planned in 2015. Continue development of the Ares I and Ares V rocket. Return American astronauts to the moon between 2024 and 2028, rather than 2020.
++Focus on the International Space Station: Shut down the shuttle fleet in 2011, but extend station operations through 2020. Rely on international partners, commercial companies and the Ares I rocket to fly crew to and from the station. Develop the Ares V, but push lunar exploration well into the 2020s.
++Dash out of lower Earth Orbit: Shut down shuttle fleet operations in 2011. Cease U.S. government use of the International Space Station in 2015. Kill the Ares I rocket and go straight to development of the Ares V heavy-lifter. Launch crew and cargo on missions beyond Earth orbit as soon as possible. Aim to orbit, rather than land on, the moon, asteroids and Mars.
The final four options all would cost more than the $81.5 billion budget projection. Cost estimates are expected to be discussed today:
++Extend shuttle operations: Fly shuttle missions through 2015 and extend International Space Station operations through 2020. Rely on international partners and U.S. commercial companies to fly astronauts to and from the station between 2015 and 2020. Develop a heavy-lift vehicle that is a more direct derivative of the shuttle for sorties to the moon, and eventually, lunar outposts. The start of lunar exploration would be pushed well into the 2020s.
++Deep space: Shut down shuttle operations in 2011, but extend International Space Station operations through 2020. Rely on Ares I, international partners and commercial companies to fly astronauts to and from the station. Develop a shuttle-derived heavy-lifter or more powerful versions of Atlas V and Delta IV rockets to launch astronauts to launch astronauts on missions to fly by or orbit, but not land on, the moon, asteroids and Mars.
++Lunar global: Shut down shuttle operations in 2011, but continue International Space Station operations through 2020. Rely on Ares I, international partners and commercial companies to fly astronauts to and from the station. Develop a shuttle-derived heavy-lifter or more powerful versions of Atlas V and Delta IV rockets to launch astronauts on sorties to the moon and eventually extended stays on the lunar surface.
++Mars first: Shut down the shuttle fleet in 2011, but continue International Space Station operations through 2020. Rely on international partners or commercial companies to fly U.S. astronauts to and from the station. Develop variants of the Ares V heavy-lift launch vehicle to send astronauts on expeditions to Mars. Bypass the moon unless it makes sense to launch test flights to the lunar surface.
Augustine will answer questions from the media in Washington for about 30 minutes after the hearing today.
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