Philosophy
Maybe it is time to be realistic and turn NASA over to private enterprise.
A House committee drafted legislation that would give NASA $19 billion next year, as President Obama has proposed, but with far different spending priorities than the White House and Senate have supported.
There is no additional shuttle flight, funding would be slashed for commercial rockets and NASA would be told to "restructure" the Constellation program that Obama wanted to kill. The bill diverges significantly from a measure approved by a Senate panel last week, which the White House supports.
The differences threaten to delay consensus on the space agency's policy.
"We are facing tough economic times that demand tough choices," said Rep. Bart Gordon, D-Tenn., chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee.
"We can't do it all. This bill makes those choices and provides the nation with a credible, sustainable and worthy space and aeronautics program."
His committee will vote on the bill Thursday.
"If this goes forward, we're going to remain in . . . purgatory for quite some time," said Dale Ketcham, director of the Univeristy of Central Florida's Spaceport Research and Technology Institute. "I think the people who will be most happy here are the Russians, because clearly we'll be relying on them to get to the space station for a long, long time."
Under the president's vision for the space agency, the life of the International Space Station would be extended and commercial rockets would replace NASA-designed rockets in ferrying astronauts there. In the meantime, the U.S. would depend on Russian Soyuz spacecraft to get to the space station, as had been planned under the previous administration.
Obama also proposed abandoning the Constellation return-to-the-moon program, calling it unrealistic and underfunded after an independent committee of experts came to that conclusion last year.
Members of the House and Senate committees that handle NASA's budget have agreed to extend the life of the space station from 2015 to 2020.
But much of the rest of Obama's proposal is opposed by lawmakers who represent states where NASA rockets are built and launched.
- Nasa's New Budget
Mostly good news with an amendment. Congress has scrapped the Moon mission [and Moon/Mars mission]...that's a smart move based on economics not technology which just isn't there. The amendment? NASA must do R&D for a new rocket. Okay, that's...
- Charles Bolden Is Blind
Get real Mr. Bolden...you are wearing horse blinders and not understanding NASA's current position and economic reality. "Embattled NASA chief vows to outline path to Mars" by David Shiga February 25th, 2010 NewScientist NASA chief Charles Bolden...
- Obama's Smart Move
This is a smart move by the Obama administration. It is time that many of NASA's projects be curtailed or placed in outside competent contractors and a realization in these economic times that trips to the moon and Mars are unreasonable and fraught...
- Man In Space--common Sense Statement
Well, it appears that "common sense" and logic are settling in at NASA. "Space review panel says moon, Mars out of reach" by Irene Klotz August 14th, 2009 Reuters The U.S. plan to return astronauts to the moon by 2020 will not happen without a big boost...
- Johnny Roventini..."callllll Forrrrrr Nasa Administrator"
We are now into the first week of May and there is no NASA administrator. Why not? "On Cusp of Big Transition, NASA Lacks Permanent Leader" by Kenneth Chang May 4th, 2009 The New York Times President Obama has yet to name the person he wants to lead...
Philosophy
NASA's future
Maybe it is time to be realistic and turn NASA over to private enterprise.
"House, Senate have different ideas for NASA's future"
Commercial funding axed; no extra shuttle launch in plan
by
Bart Jansen
July 21st, 2010
FLORIDATODAY.COM
Commercial funding axed; no extra shuttle launch in plan
by
Bart Jansen
July 21st, 2010
FLORIDATODAY.COM
A House committee drafted legislation that would give NASA $19 billion next year, as President Obama has proposed, but with far different spending priorities than the White House and Senate have supported.
There is no additional shuttle flight, funding would be slashed for commercial rockets and NASA would be told to "restructure" the Constellation program that Obama wanted to kill. The bill diverges significantly from a measure approved by a Senate panel last week, which the White House supports.
The differences threaten to delay consensus on the space agency's policy.
"We are facing tough economic times that demand tough choices," said Rep. Bart Gordon, D-Tenn., chairman of the House Science and Technology Committee.
"We can't do it all. This bill makes those choices and provides the nation with a credible, sustainable and worthy space and aeronautics program."
His committee will vote on the bill Thursday.
"If this goes forward, we're going to remain in . . . purgatory for quite some time," said Dale Ketcham, director of the Univeristy of Central Florida's Spaceport Research and Technology Institute. "I think the people who will be most happy here are the Russians, because clearly we'll be relying on them to get to the space station for a long, long time."
Under the president's vision for the space agency, the life of the International Space Station would be extended and commercial rockets would replace NASA-designed rockets in ferrying astronauts there. In the meantime, the U.S. would depend on Russian Soyuz spacecraft to get to the space station, as had been planned under the previous administration.
Obama also proposed abandoning the Constellation return-to-the-moon program, calling it unrealistic and underfunded after an independent committee of experts came to that conclusion last year.
Members of the House and Senate committees that handle NASA's budget have agreed to extend the life of the space station from 2015 to 2020.
But much of the rest of Obama's proposal is opposed by lawmakers who represent states where NASA rockets are built and launched.
- Nasa's New Budget
Mostly good news with an amendment. Congress has scrapped the Moon mission [and Moon/Mars mission]...that's a smart move based on economics not technology which just isn't there. The amendment? NASA must do R&D for a new rocket. Okay, that's...
- Charles Bolden Is Blind
Get real Mr. Bolden...you are wearing horse blinders and not understanding NASA's current position and economic reality. "Embattled NASA chief vows to outline path to Mars" by David Shiga February 25th, 2010 NewScientist NASA chief Charles Bolden...
- Obama's Smart Move
This is a smart move by the Obama administration. It is time that many of NASA's projects be curtailed or placed in outside competent contractors and a realization in these economic times that trips to the moon and Mars are unreasonable and fraught...
- Man In Space--common Sense Statement
Well, it appears that "common sense" and logic are settling in at NASA. "Space review panel says moon, Mars out of reach" by Irene Klotz August 14th, 2009 Reuters The U.S. plan to return astronauts to the moon by 2020 will not happen without a big boost...
- Johnny Roventini..."callllll Forrrrrr Nasa Administrator"
We are now into the first week of May and there is no NASA administrator. Why not? "On Cusp of Big Transition, NASA Lacks Permanent Leader" by Kenneth Chang May 4th, 2009 The New York Times President Obama has yet to name the person he wants to lead...