POGO Files FOIA Request for NASA Heavy-Lift Rocket Studies

By NICK SCHWELLENBACH

This morning the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) acknowledged POGO's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for studies related to the development of a future heavy-lift rocket that is intended to send astronauts into deep space. As the space shuttle retires and NASA embarks on several massive new initiatives, POGO is keeping an eye on NASA contracting. Many of the big players are the same as those in the defense procurement world, and many of the same problems appear to exist at NASA as at the Department of Defense.

Nick Schwellenbach is POGO's Director of Investigations. Follow Nick on Twitter.

Image: NASA.

Comments

[ef3000is]

You say deep space but what does this actually mean when they refer to this. Could this mean reaching our next closest planet? Or are they talking of further than this.

[Thomas Lee Elifritz]

Some of it is available in the public domain.

[Egad]

related to the development of a future heavy-lift rocket that is intended to send astronauts into deep space.

One of the problems the wonks are having with this rocket is that there is no identified intent to use it for astronauts or anything else. The legislation says to build a big rocket with a certain lift capability by a certain date. It says not a word about what the rocket is supposed to do, what payloads should be developed to put on it, what missions the payloads are supposed to enable.

So, and considering which members of Congress (FL, AL, TX, UT) are pushing for the rocket, the suspicion that it's purely a pork project is strong.

What the inner circles at NASA are thinking and saying might be revealed by your FOIA, and I wish you luck with it.