For the first time in more than 50 years, NASA lacks a program to launch explorers into space. And, more to the point just now, to get them back. [Thursday's static test firing of ATK's next generation booster at Promontory, Box Elder County. Photo by Joe Bauman]
Astronauts Ron Garan and Mike Fossum are temporarily stuck on the International Space Station because a Russian Progress supply rocket – similar to the Soyuz vehicle that taxies our astronauts to and from the station – failed at launch on Aug. 24. Garan, originally ticketed to return on Sept. 8, gets a ride home on Sept. 15 with two Russian cosmonauts. Fossum is to return in November.
By no coincidence, Russia has increased the price for the U.S. space tourists, from $55.8 million each round-trip to $62.7million, according to news reports. But that was before the Progress mishap; maybe the price will ratchet up another few tens of millions to pay for whatever safety modifications are needed.
The now-mothballed shuttles that once serviced the space station used two solid-fuel ATK boosters built in Utah, each consisting of four segments, for its initial leap toward space. After the boosters cut out and dropped away, the liquid-fueled main shuttle engine took over.
When the shuttle was phased out, that was not intended to be the end of our crewed space program. A new rocket called Ares would have a five-segment ATK first stage, a liquid-fueled second stage and a crew compartment to carry astronauts.