13th Annual FAA Commercial Space Transportation Conference
Kehler: new NASA plan has clear impacts for USAF. Example: manufacture of solid rocket motors. #astconf
2010-02-12 05:55:17Kehler: we are relying on comm'l for small and medium-lift vehicles as we have made no provision for them on our own. #astconf
2010-02-12 06:00:49Kehler: EELV is "national asset" that we will rely on for long time to come; do need to improve procurement process, though. #astconf
2010-02-12 06:03:32Kehler: have bottlenecks in manifesting and launch scheduling; "launch schedule roulette" is a game no one wins #astconf
2010-02-12 06:05:02Kehler: hiring more people to improve throughput, also more dynamic manifesting of payloads. #astconf
2010-02-12 06:07:04Kehler: it may make sense at some point in the future for the military to no longer operate the ranges. #astconf
2010-02-12 06:19:44Kehler: NASA's plan has a positive for us: accelerate our desire to go after commercial opportunities. #astconf
2010-02-12 06:24:42Kehler: a concern is with solid rocket motor industrial base. There are issues we will have to address, don't know how yet. #astconf
2010-02-12 06:25:18Kehler: we know there will be future demand for SRMs, but not at old Cold War levels. Have to figure out how to work this. #astconf
2010-02-12 06:26:46FAA assoc admin George Nield wraps up: this will be a conference that we'll remember for years to come, and not just because of wx. #astconf
2010-02-12 06:29:08And #astconf is officially concluded. Thanks for reading!
2010-02-12 06:30:37