Aero-News: Quote of the Day

ANN's Quote of the Day usually derives from current news, though we reserve the right to pick quotes out of history that have a bearing on the day's events and issues.

Sometimes, you'll find them timely and in keeping with the content of the day's news... and sometimes, they'll just be thought-provoking.

Reader suggestions and comments are welcome... and if particularly intriguing, timely, or poignant, may themselves become future Quotes of the Day.

Let us hear from you, folks!

Aero-News Quote of the Day

"A lot of us turned to this [Direct] because we realized Ares is not going to fly. . . . Based on the ground rules placed upon NASA by Congress -- that as much of the shuttle system as possible needed to be used -- Direct is the best solution."

Source: An anonymous NASA contractor working on the Constellation program at Kennedy Space Center, regarding an alternative to NASA's Ares rocket system now under development. Called Direct 2.0, or the Jupiter 120, the program actually began life as NASA's own work back in 1986 as a concept to restart the space program after the loss of Challenger. Conceived by Marshall Space Flight Center, Direct had the capability of launching unmanned cargo, and even potentially a restarting an Apollo spacecraft program. Though the plan was officially shelved, rocket enthusiasts and engineers, including several working for NASA, have picked up the project in their spare time. Supporters point to the simplicity of Direct's design as a way to reduce the projected five-year gap in US manned spaceflight once the shuttle's 2010 retirement happens... but NASA is sticking with Ares, despite evidence of significant design flaws.

FMI: www.nasa.gov, www.launchcomplexmodels.com/Direct