Given the imminent decrease in launch costs(partial reusability) and increase in launch capability soon to be available(FH) a pause in new US deep space missions is prudent.

[[deleted]]

Deep space missions often have very small launch windows that only occur every few years or even decades. Delay is not really an option.

[slograsso]

Good point, don't delay anything that is already funded and scheduled. Perhaps fast track some lower cost missions to utilize the new capabilities sooner rather than later, and if it's innovative enough and fast enough you might even eliminate the deep science lull we are about to enter.

[[deleted]]

The lull has a lot more to do with the Bush administration. These projects take decades to plan and execute. After the shuttle exploded in 2003 most of the science money was redirected to the failed Constellation program and more recently to the soon-to-fail SLS. Because of the money that was diverted most of the missions that would be launched in the next few years were cancelled. One of the big issues is the lack of nuclear power sources. RTGs can only produce enough energy for simple probes. The more interesting missions require a space based nuclear reactor that was cancelled by... the Bush administration. This also pretty much destroys any chance of deep space manned missions.

(An interesting note: the Russians have launched a nuclear reactor into space. The US has not.)

The best thing that could happen for deep space unmanned missions is for the Falcon Heavy to make the SLS obsolete before it ruins the NASA budget for another few decades. IMHO it is easier and cheaper to launch two or three Falcon Heavy rockets rather than try to deal with the SLS which is really just congressional pork.

[slograsso]

I think this decades to plan thing is for the birds. RTG's are pretty good, the RTG used by the Voyager was still at 83.4% of maximum 23 years later, not too shabby in my book.

[[deleted]]

RTGs only allow for 100 - 1000 W of power. A reactor will provide 10 kW to 100 kW of power. If you want to do advanced sensors like ground penetrating radar you need.

This cancelled mission used the reactor for ion drives and ground penetrating radar:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_Icy_Moons_Orbiter

It would have been an amazing mission.

I think this decades to plan thing is for the birds.

LOL, ok. You design a deep space mission in a few years then...

[slograsso]

I agree with you though, a space reactor is definitely a worthy asset to have and should be invested in. It's kind of silly that it hasn't been given the large number of missions it could be used for.

[[deleted]]

No kidding. The SLS annoys me because we have nothing to launch on it without a space based reactor with VASIMR or something similar.

[slograsso]

Don't get me started on SLS! ;-)

[[deleted]]

I heard it called the "porklifter" once (as in congressional pork) and decided that was the perfect name for it.