Margaritifer Basin (Margaritifer Trilogy Book 1) (32 page)

“Huh?”

“Senator, we don’t have a lot of
time. Four years is simply not enough time to design, build – and test – new
command and service modules. Not to mention the prohibitive cost, as the
government’s Orion Program poignantly and, for the taxpayers, painfully
demonstrates. Sitting in a museum at Kennedy is the CSM-119 command/service
module, the very last of the Apollo CSMs, the Skylab Rescue module. It was
reconfigured to seat five, which suits our mission just fine, and it has never
flown. Further, sitting atop display rockets at Johnson are two Apollo service
modules, 102 and 115. 115 doesn’t have its SPS – service propulsion system –
nozzle installed, but that’s a comparatively small matter. Now that’s half a
billion dollars’ worth of hardware designed for space travel that the taxpayers
already paid for. And it’s just sitting, museum curiosities. We’d like to put
them to good use and give the taxpayers something for their money that they
never got from the government. The service modules, of course, will be
destroyed on reentry. But we’ll gladly give you the command module back when
we’re done with it. And I guarantee it’ll be a lot more famous than it is now.”

The Senator laughed. “I don’t know,
Jeff, that’s a pretty tall order. Folks will claim those are national treasures
that need to be protected.”

“Senator, there are twenty-six Apollo command modules
on display around the country, and another one in Moscow, for cryin’ out loud.
How many ‘national treasures’ do we need? Good lord, two years ago California
declared the Apollo 11 landing site – on the moon! – a state historical site,
right down to the plastic bags of fecal material left behind by Armstrong and
Aldrin. When is government going to get past this idiotic penchant for turning
everything in the universe into sacred artifacts?”

“Never.”

“Sir, just one time, can’t we do
something right?”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“Thank you sir. The second part of
cooperation is our request that the government simply not stand in our way. You
of all people know that there is a mountain – a big mountain – of rules,
regulations, laws, and even international treaties governing the use of
airspace, activities in space and – for reasons passing understanding –
activities on Mars. Senator, just out of idle curiosity, where does it say in
the United States Constitution that our government has the authority to
regulate activity on another planet? It sure doesn’t strike me as interstate
commerce.”

Senator Landers smiled. “I believe
that one falls under the authority of the Executive Branch to make
treaties. And the Senate went along because it seemed to be a good idea at the
time.”

“And that, sir, is exactly what
concerns us. That someone in government, operating under carte blanche
regulatory authority, granted by Congress, wakes up one morning, decides this
is a bad idea and throws some enormous regulatory roadblock in front of us.
Senator, we have a mission to fly and I have a finite amount of money that I
would just as soon not spend on an army of lawyers filing lawsuits against
every agency in government just so we can get off the ground.”

“You and everyone else in the country.
Welcome to America. Jeff, we do the best we can given an awful lot of
conflicting interests.”

“Senator, do you ever get the
feeling you do too much and go too far?”

“Every day.”

“Well, here’s the bottom line,
sir. If the United States Government isn’t willing to cooperate with us, we are
fully prepared to go find another one that is. Among the many qualifications my
people have, you will also find native fluency in French,
Russian and Mandarin Chinese, not to put too fine a point on it.”

The Senator smiled. “There’s no
need to use a hammer on me, Jeff. I am on your side.”

“Sorry sir, just putting all the
cards on the table so there are no misunderstandings.”

“Fact is, you’re probably right. I
imagine you will encounter considerable resistance from a number of directions.
If nothing else, you’ll fuel an enormous debate over the public cost of space
exploration. An awful lot of people make a very comfortable living off the
aerospace industry, even if it never goes anywhere. And they are not going to be
happy with your little project.”

“No sir, I don’t expect so. On the
other hand, is that not perhaps a debate that’s long overdue? It was eight
years from Kennedy’s speech to the day Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. The
Mars Science Laboratory was first proposed back in 2000. It finally landed last
month, twelve years and three billion dollars later. I wonder if the taxpayers
are really getting their money’s worth?”

“I think we both know the answer to
that question.”

“Yes sir.”

“There is certainly a wide
difference of opinion on the matter, depending upon which side of the political
spectrum one sits. Next month’s election – the outcome of which is still highly
debatable – could bring about another sea change in attitudes, or not.”

“I understand sir.”

“Jeff, I’ll do what I can for you.
But for now, that’s probably not much. We’ll just have to take it one day at a
time.”

“I can’t ask for anything more.
Thank you sir.”

The next morning, they sat around
the dining table in what amounted to a four-hour question and answer session
wherein Jeff and his team filled in all the gaps and details of the mission.
Following that they flew Senator Landers back to Manassas. On the return flight
Jeff sat in the cockpit with Abby.

“So, what do you think?” said Abby.

“I think we have a long road ahead
of us.”

Tuesday, November 6,
2012 (T-1232 days)

It was just a few minutes before
midnight. “Looks like we have a new president,” Chrissie said, staring at the
television.

Jeff nodded. “Appears so.”

“Wow, four years ago who’d have
thunk it?”

“Yeah.”

“You think our fortunes just
improved?” Abby asked.

Jeff shook his head. “I have no
idea.”

Tuesday, September
17, 2013 (T-917 days)

United States Senate
Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation

Science and Space
Subcommittee

Hearing on Grey
Aerospace Manned Mission to Mars: Public Safety Concerns

Majority Statement of
Senator Elizabeth Stoddard

Tuesday, September
17, 2013

“I want to thank Mr. Grey for
testifying before the committee today. Given your ambitious program, I would
imagine that Senate testimony is not something you allotted time for in your
busy schedule. The committee appreciates your positive response to its request.

“Since the earliest days of the
U.S. space program, a government-private sector partnership in space flight has
existed. This partnership has flourished and resulted in remarkable
advancements in our ability to explore space and derive widespread social
benefits from the technology it has produced. In recent years, owing to the ever-spiraling
costs involved in space flight and ever-tightening federal budgets, the
government has admittedly asked more and more of the private sector, and
commercial aerospace firms have responded. With the conclusion of the Space
Shuttle program, and the as yet unproven SLS heavy launch system, commercial
aerospace, along with our partners in the Russian and European Space
Agencies, have stepped up to the plate and provided virtually all support
for the International Space Station, resulting in uninterrupted ISS operations
and the many continued benefits thereof.

“I am concerned, however, that the
Grey Aerospace Mars mission, though an extremely noble effort and well-intended
on a variety of levels, may not measure up to the quality expected of this country’s
manned space flight endeavors and may possibly represent a significant threat
to public health and safety.

“Numerous recent reports in the
media along with statements by recognized experts in the aerospace field have
brought to light serious questions regarding not only Mr.
Grey’s mission safety but the mission’s very feasibility.

“NASA is on the path to land humans
on Mars. Admittedly, it is a long, treacherous and expensive path. Owing to
budgetary constraints brought about by severe economic conditions resulting
from mismanagement of the economy by past administrations, America’s return to
the moon has been pushed back several more years, but I am confident we will
achieve that goal within the forthcoming decade or so. And in due time, a
manned mission to Mars will follow.

“The golden days of Apollo are
behind us. The national security investment in manned space flight is no longer
an issue and we need to take a more measured, better thought out, and safer
approach to manned space flight. This is NASA’s approach and, in my opinion, it
is the correct one.

“The president has expressed his
desire to maintain a viable American space exploration program and, I am sure,
would join this committee in applauding Mr. Grey’s enormously ambitious
project and dedication to the advancement of our knowledge and understanding of
space. Yet, I am also certain the president would caution that this may not be
the appropriate time for such small-scale, under-funded, dangerous and
potentially hazardous commercial ventures.

“Again, I thank you Mr. Grey
for testifying before the committee and I hope that you will not take my
remarks in a negative light. I am certain you agree that what you are proposing
is extremely risky and understand that Congress needs to take a
serious look at your proposal and determine whether or not it is in the best
interests of public safety for you to proceed.”

United States Senate
Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation

Science and Space
Subcommittee

Hearing on Grey
Aerospace Manned Mission to Mars: Public Safety Concerns

Minority Statement of
Senator Richard Landers

Tuesday, September
17, 2013

“Thank you Madam Chairman. I also
wish to thank you, Captain Grey, for taking the time to testify before this
committee and I am confident your testimony will thoroughly clear the air of
questions regarding the many varied aspects of your mission.

“For much of the past decade, this
government has asked, indeed, demanded, of commercial aerospace that it take
the reins of space exploration and relieve the taxpayers of the enormous cost.
You sir, have answered the call. You have stepped forward and raised your hand
and said, “Alright, I’ll do it. I’ll go.” And in response, many within the
current administration and “professional” aerospace have replied, “Not so fast.
Yes, we know what we said, but we didn’t really mean it.”

“Frankly sir, I am embarrassed to
say that had recent administrations ruled Spain in 1492, Columbus would likely
still be tied up at the pier in Palos de la Frontera. Indeed, NASA is on the
path to Mars, and one day they will surely get there. But I seriously doubt
anyone seated in this chamber today will live long enough to see it.

“Since the conclusion of the Apollo
program, NASA has merely nibbled at the edges of the space program. Great leaps
in technology have been made and scientific exploration of our solar system has
progressed, albeit at the slow, measured pace suggested by the Committee Chair.
Yet, while the cost has been enormous, both in terms of dollars and human
life, the next “giant leap for mankind” has sadly failed to materialize.

“Space exploration today boils down
to money, and little else. Were NASA to continue spending $100 billion dollars
a year and never launch a single rocket, there are many who would not mind at
all. So long as the money keeps flowing from taxpayer to government to NASA to
contractor to political campaign coffer, there will be plenty of people content
with this arrangement.

“Now comes before us, you, Captain
Grey. Someone willing to spend their own money and actually do something.
Something grand. But instead of rising to the occasion and offering whatever
support you may need, this Congress stands before you blocking the path,
saying, “No, you shall not go there. Space belongs to the government and you,
sir, are not part of the club.”

“Over the years this Congress has
drafted thousands of pages of regulatory legislation, micromanaging every
aspect of commercial space flight. Yet, when you dutifully and, I might add,
skillfully and intelligently, follow the rules and proceed under the letter of
the law, and fulfill those regulatory requirements, once again, the naysayers
step forward and say, “Yes, that is what we said, but we didn’t mean it.”

“So now you are called before this
committee, some members of which are desperately looking for
loopholes in the very regulations they wrote. And I apologize for that.”

United States Senate
Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation

Science and Space
Subcommittee

Hearing on Grey
Aerospace Manned Mission to Mars: Public Safety Concerns

Opening Statement of
Capt. Jeffrey Grey, President and CEO of Grey Aerospace

Tuesday, September
17, 2013

“Thank you Madam Chairman and my
thanks as well to the Committee for this opportunity to respond to your concerns.

“It is not, has never been, nor
ever will be my intention to compete with NASA or any of this planet’s other
space agencies over the dominion of space. I am simply a private citizen with a
large bank account who wants to go to Mars. Though I would like to offer a
laundry list of noble reasons for doing so – scientific exploration, expansion
of this small world’s spatial domain, answer all the questions that we have
about other worlds – the simple fact is, none of that is true. My reason for
going to Mars is simple, and it’s the same one George Mallory gave to the
New
York Times
in 1923 when he was asked why he wished to climb Mt. Everest:
‘Because it’s there.’ Mallory also said, ‘To me the only way you achieve the
summit is to come back alive. The job is half done if you don’t get down
again.’ Mallory never got the job done; he died on Mt. Everest the following
year. But he tried.

“Is our mission risky? Certainly.
Is it possible we may not come back? Indeed it is. But we intend to try –
because it’s there.

“No one person is an expert on
space travel, there is simply too much to know. Even the renowned and much
loved NASA Flight Director, Gene Kranz, had more specialists at his disposal
than he could count. I, by no means, claim to know it all. As such, in an
honest effort to fully and accurately respond to this Committee’s questions, I
have brought with me today the entire mission crew, whom I would like to
introduce at this time. On my far right is Dr. Susan Lú, Doctor of Medicine,
Cal Berkeley and Stanford University, life support systems and flight surgeon.
To my immediate right is Lieutenant Commander Abigail Nolan, United States
Naval Reserve, B.S. aeronautical engineering, United States Naval Academy,
flight systems and pilot. Too my left is Dr. Gabriel Frederick, Ph.D.,
aeronautics and applied physics, Oberlin, MIT, Cambridge, and Caltech, chief
engineer, propulsion systems, flight engineer and navigator. And to my far
left, Ms. Christine Mallory, Communications and Public Relations, Boston
College and the Sorbonne.

“We will be happy to take any
questions you may have.”

(Chairman Stoddard) “Thank you, Mr. Grey, and the Committee
welcomes the members of your flight crew. Your credentials are most impressive.
Senator Malcolm.”

(Sen. Malcolm) “I too wish to thank all of you for your
appearance before this Committee. Mr. Grey, we are not here to demean your
intentions or abilities, we simply wish to assure ourselves and the American
people that what you propose to do is safe and in the public’s best interests.
In 2004, NASA proposed that it could cost as much as $400 billion for a manned
mission to Mars. Might we ask what your total budget for this mission is?”

(Capt. Grey) “We don’t have a budget, Senator. The mission
will cost whatever it costs. If we can’t pay for it we won’t be going. At
present, we anticipate the total cost will run somewhere between two and three
billion.”

(Sen. Malcolm) “Forgive me for sounding a bit incredulous,
but how do you propose to go to Mars for one percent of what it would cost NASA
to do it?”

(Capt. Grey) “There are a variety of reasons, Senator.
First, we have no research and development costs; all our systems are tested,
proven, off-the-shelf, and commercially available. Second, we have no long-term
expenses to amortize. For example, we don’t need to build launch facilities or
a deep space communications network; those already exist. And finally, we’re
not the government, we’re the private sector; we can do more with less.”

(Sen. Malcolm) “That’s all fine and well, Mr. Grey, but how
is this Committee to be assured that the systems you intend to utilize are
safe, and not hazardous to the public?”

(Capt. Grey) “Because virtually all our systems are already
approved for space flight by NASA and/or the FAA. For example, our primary
launch vehicle vendors are ULA and SpaceX, both of whom already provide lift
services to the ISS. Our space suits are being manufactured by ILC Dover, the
provider of space suits to NASA going all the way back to the Mercury Program.
The regenerative carbon dioxide removal system, or RCRS, utilized in both our
transit vessel and Mars habitat is identical to that formerly used on the Space
Shuttle. Bigelow Aerospace, whose habitats are already flying and approved for
manned flight by the FAA, will provide our in-flight habitat. Our Mars descent
vehicles are based entirely on the descent vehicles utilized for the NASA
Viking lander, Mars Exploration Rovers and Mars Science Laboratory. If our
systems are not safe, Senator, then neither are NASA’s. We’re not building a
spaceship in our backyard, we’re utilizing the best equipment that commercial
aerospace has to offer; the same equipment that NASA is using as we speak.
We’re simply bundling it in a more economical package.”

(Sen. Malcolm) “Yes, Mr. Grey, we all know you possess a
great deal of money, but how are we to know that you are competent to utilize
these systems?”

(Capt. Grey) “We learn to use them the same way NASA does.
We study and train. We’ve been at it for a year and a half and we’ll be at it
for another two and a half years before we go. If you’d care to come up to
Newport, we’d be delighted to have you try your hand at flying our command
module simulator or donning a space suit analog, jumping in the pool and trying
a simulated EVA. Senator, NASA does not have an exclusive on learning.”

(Chairman Stoddard) “Thank you. Senator Garrett?”

(Sen. Garrett) “Thank you Madam Chairman, and thank you
Captain Grey for your appearance today before the Committee. I understand there
are a variety of competing proposals for how to approach a manned mission to
Mars. NASA and other international space agencies as well as a number of
private interest groups all seem to have their own ideas about the best way to
do it; some quite elaborate and expensive, others not so much. Perhaps you
could enlighten the Committee and tell us how you plan to do this.”

(Capt. Grey) “Of course, Senator. I’m going to put Dr.
Frederick on the spot and let her respond to your question.”

(Dr. Frederick) “Thank you. Yes, there are many different
ideas regarding the best approach. All have their pluses and minuses and, as
you suggest, Senator, there is certainly a direct correlation between the scale
of a mission and its anticipated cost. However, with but very few exceptions, all
of the current proposals for manned flight to Mars have the same fatal flaws:
they require technology or systems – or both – that do not yet exist, are still
in the early stages of development, have not been tested or flown or, in some
cases, defy the laws of physics and exist solely in the realm of science
fiction.