WHY is NASA developing a new generation of space rockets when the US already has two that could do the same job? That’s one of the questions the transition team for the incoming Obama administration was reportedly asking NASA last week.
At issue is the Ares series of rockets, currently being built to carry crew and supplies to the International Space Station, the moon and possibly Mars. These rockets have been plagued by questions over their design and cost, and are unlikely to be ready until 2015, leaving a gap in astronaut-launch capability if the space shuttle retires in…
