McCain Accuses Air Force of Stalling on RD-180 Replacement

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Article Link | SpaceNews.com Website

 

 

 

WASHINGTON

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There are people in the USAF who really hate change, especially if it hurts their post-retirement employment opportunities via the revolving door path.

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They should have had something well into development by now. Two years, with the right expertise, personnel and funding? Please. They know how to do that stuff with their eyes closed. It's not like they had to build an entire vehicle.

 

Nah, they're stalling, obfuscating and otherwise foot-dragging. And that $220 million? Likely spent on any number of unrelated shenanigans. Give me that kind of money to develop a rocket engine (not actually build it), and I'll come up with the most Bugatti Veyron-like engine for the task the world's ever seen. And yes, I'd hand you back the change, because it won't cost $220 million.

 

Give the job to SpaceX. Seriously. They'll have a solution for you (Delta-ready) in six months and a prototype ready for testing one year after that. AND they'll hand you back the change, because it sure as heck won't cost $220 million to do the job.

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That's $220m +/- a year, for 5 years.

Meanwhile, the USAF website is reporting F9 will be certified by June-July. This because the Secretary if th he Air Force lit a fire under them and told them to reform the EELV new provider process. All thats left is certifying their fairing and the M1DVac engine.

Since most of this is certifying the company and it's methods, less so the vehicle, it should speed FH's certification.

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There are people in the USAF who really hate change, especially if it hurts their post-retirement employment opportunities via the revolving door path.

 

I'd take the USAF's word over some bitter old man who has a history of bad decisions and judgments, and doesn't know any better

 

I don't goto pizza hut and tell them kids how to spread the cheese. They know more about it than i do.

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$220 million a year for 5 years?! Good grief ... for THAT kind of money I'd give them the McClaren P1 of rocket engines ...

 

... and THEN tell them that SpaceX is the better alternative, and just keep the money for my company (since that's how business is done anyway) citing R&D costs.

 

I would then delay this new engine one or two years, claim that I've "finally got it figured out", and then debut a improved version, sell them to Orbital (who would be all-too-happy to have an alternative by then) at a nice profit margin per unit (10-15%) and we're in business for 10 years.

 

While that program is going, we start R&D for the next engine.

 

Groundhog!

 

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Yup, that's what Congress allocated for an RD-180 replacement.

I'd take the USAF's word over some bitter old man who has a history of bad decisions and judgments, and doesn't know any better

I don't goto pizza hut and tell them kids how to spread the cheese. They know more about it than i do.

In this case McCain is 100% correct, they've been dragging their feet and have been called on it not only by him but the Secretary of the Air Force and other watchdog agencies. His wrath is very justified.