No more Moon program?

[scooter]

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35131431/ns/technology_and_science-space

will be interesting to see what happens next.

[Jason]

Why, I am shocked, shocked that President Obama is not interested in space exploration.
Not.

[LunarOrbit]

Jan 29, 2010 12:18:21 GMT -4 Jason said:

...President Obama is not interested in space exploration.

Yeah, that's why he's giving NASA $6 billion more in the budget.

[Jason]

Jan 29, 2010 13:32:48 GMT -4 LunarOrbit said:

Jan 29, 2010 12:18:21 GMT -4 Jason said:

...President Obama is not interested in space exploration.

Yeah, that's why he's giving NASA $6 billion more in the budget.

Which is just barely enough to maintain the station, mabye, for five more years - not enough to go back to the Moon and on to Mars.

In a statement, Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, D-Fla., said, “The president’s proposal would leave NASA with essentially no program and no timeline for exploration beyond Earth’s orbit.”

The little "D" means that Rep. Kosmas is from the President's own party.

If Obama does cancel the Constellation program, it “leaves NASA and the nation with no program, no plan and no commitment to any human spaceflight program beyond that of today,” former NASA Administrator Michael Griffin said in a statement.

[echnaton]

It just a matter of time before we completely end plans for returning to the moon. There is simply no political advantage in the program and you can buy votes more cheaply with other programs. Engineers are as expensive as they are politically unreliable.

[PhantomWolf]

Obama basically seems to have killed the US Manned space programme at the tender age of 50. As of 2012 it'll be up to private business to run manned space flights while NASA just buys a ticket. Yay space exporation. Time to start backing the Indians and Chinese programmes.

[gillianren]

They're certainly more likely to get going than any kind of private space program; there isn't enough profit to it yet and probably won't be for some time.

Alas. I really wanted to be around for this one.

[scooter]

The news is pretty sketchy about this activity, but it appears the many NASA manned spaceflight folks are gearing up for a fight.

Considering all the kinds of work NASA does, from flight safety and aeornautics, to Earth sensing and monitoring, and all the satellite and probe missions, the manned portion is a fairly small piece of the whole pie. It is, however, a part that captures the imagination of the citizens, and gives a real feeling of "look what we can do".
To abandon this completely to private entities and foreign nations seems a huge step backwards. I say put together a real across the board tiger team to look at all the options for supporting the ISS and extra-LEO missions, then press ahead. If it involves private entities, fine.
Just thinking about mothballing the entireity of LC39 sickens me...which is what this current plan would basically do.

[gillianren]

Let us say that concern about the space program was why Obama wasn't my first choice.

[smlbstcbr]

Sad if it comes true. Looks like space exploration is going to be science ficction for a time. Seems that some logo (like Buy and Large) is going to be the new flag on Mars...

[echnaton]

It would seem that in the $1.6 trillion of deficit in the proposed budget for next year there would be room for a launch or two.

[Grand Lunar]

The news lately seems to indicate that SpaceX will get people to the ISS and that the ISS will be extended.

Also, the idea points to a new heavy lift like the Jupiter rockets proposed by Direct to take the place of Ares.

It also seems the "Flexible Path" will take the the place of the lunar missions.

If true, then while we won't be making trips to Tycho, we at least can visit places never set foot upon before.

The ideas seem similar to Buzz Adrin's views for space exploration.

[smlbstcbr]

Well, it looks like (at least that's what I read in BBC) that one reason to cancel Constellation is because it looked 'old fashioned'. Seems that they are demanding NASA to reinvent the wheel, in this particular case.

[LunarOrbit]

Feb 1, 2010 10:56:43 GMT -4 Grand Lunar said:

The ideas seem similar to Buzz Adrin's views for space exploration.

Buzz has endorsed President Obama's new direction for NASA.

buzzaldrin.com/statement-from-buzz-aldrin-a-new-direction-in-space/

Today I wish to endorse strongly the President’s new direction for NASA. As an Apollo astronaut, I know the importance of always pushing new frontiers as we explore space.

The truth is that we have already been to the Moon—some 40 years ago.

A near-term focus on lowering the cost of access to space and on developing key, cutting-edge technologies to take us further, faster, is just what our Nation needs to maintain its position as the leader in space exploration for the rest of this century.

We need to be in this for the long haul, and this program will allow us to again be pushing the boundaries to achieve new and challenging things beyond Earth.

I hope NASA will embrace this new direction as much as I do, and help us all continue to use space exploration to drive prosperity and innovation right here on Earth.

I also believe the steps we will be taking following the President’s direction will best position NASA and other space agencies to send humans to Mars and other exciting destinations as quickly as possible.

To do that, we will need to support many types of game-changing technologies NASA and its partners will be developing. Mars is the next frontier for humankind, and NASA will be leading the way there if we aggressively support the President’s plans.

Finally, I am excited to think that the development of commercial capabilities to send humans into low-Earth orbit will likely result in so many more Earthlings being able to experience the transformative power of spaceflight.

I can personally attest to the fact that the experience results in a different perspective on life on Earth, and on our future as a species. I applaud the President for working to make this dream a reality.

Buzz Aldrin

[Jairo]

I'm in doubt. To explore the rest of the Solar System, would colonizing the Moon first be helpful or not?