Free Republic

Republican lawmakers chastised the head of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Friday, saying the agency’s obsession with global warming is undercutting space exploration programs. “There are 13 other agencies involved in climate change research, but only one that is responsible for space exploration,” Texas Rep. Lamar Smith told NASA administrator Charles Bolden in a hearing. “The administration continues to starve NASA’s exploration programs to fund a partisan environmental agenda,” Smith said. “NASA simply deserves better.” Republicans are concerned that NASA is spending too much money on Earth sciences while cutting funding for space exploration. President Barack Obama’s 2016 budget...

America won’t be repeating that historic one small step anytime soon -- not according to NASA chief Charlie Bolden, anyway. “NASA is not going to the Moon with a human as a primary project probably in my lifetime,” Bolden told a joint meeting of the Space Studies Board and the Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board in Washington last week, according to Jeff Foust of SpacePolitics.com. “And the reason is, we can only do so many things.”

A congressional panel grilled NASA chief Charlie Bolden today (July 12) on Capitol Hill, repeatedly asking him why the space agency has yet to choose a design for its next-generation heavy-lift rocket. Last year Congress gave NASA until mid-January 2011 to pick a design for the rocket, known as the Space Launch System, that will carry astronauts on deep space missions. NASA still has not made an official decision, and members of the House of Representatives' Committee on Science, Space and Technology took Bolden to task. "We've waited for answers that have not come. We've pleaded for answers that have...

Just months after NASA Administrator Charles Bolden drew public attention for claiming his “foremost” directive from the Obama White House was increased outreach to the Muslim world, he’s embarked on a trip this weekend to Saudi Arabia. In early July, Bolden told Al Jazeera network that one of President Obama’s directives for him was “to reach out to the Muslim world and engage with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science and engineering.” Days later, the White House contradicted Bolden’s remarks; Press secretary Robert Gibbs reported that such activities were not among Mr....

It looks like Charlie Bolden may be headed back to the Middle East soon - this time, to Saudi Arabia.The purpose? Some would say that he is trying to get the Saudis more involved in ongoing peace negotiations at the behest of the Obama White House. But others note that he has some personal agenda items at work as well - all under the excuse of commemorating a Space Shuttle flight 25 years ago. The excuse being used for this trip is the 25th anniversary of the flight of Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, a nephew of the...

Dear Administrator Bolden: Your agency-wide message to all NASA employees on Wednesday, July 28 appeared, in part, to be a response to the first "Open Letter" sent to you on Tuesday, July 27, calling for you to remove your Deputy, Lori Garver. Rather than "celebrating your first anniversary at NASA with Lori", you should be moving swiftly to replace her with someone who can help you implement the plan Congress is in the process of providing you. Yes, the NASA family, Government and Contractor alike, have achieved many successes this past year, but this is in spite of Ms. Garver,...

An Open Letter to NASA Administrator Charles Bolden July 26, 2010 Dear Administrator Bolden: Congress has recently voted on legislation which will put NASA on a sensible path, which Congress, the White House and NASA can all use so the space agency can move beyond its current malaise to a bright future. It’s quite clear to everyone the primary cause of this malaise is your Deputy, Lori Garver. Now that Congress has spoken it’s time for you to take action and remove Ms. Garver. It’s time for you to have a heart to heart, one on one, with President Obama...

The bill would authorize NASA appropriations for FY 2011-2013 with the same top-line budget values as the President’s request to Congress. The bill would support an overall growth in science, aeronautics, and space technology and define a long-term goal for human space flight to expand a permanent human presence beyond low-Earth orbit. Key objectives of this goal would include full utilization of the International Space Station (ISS), determining the ability of humans to live in space for extended periods of time, maximizing the role of space exploration and technology in current and future missions, advancing knowledge and inspiring young people...

One of the most frequently used techniques: “Whenever you receive a difficult question, validate the question in a way that makes whatever bullsh*t you throw back at them seem believable and appropriate. If necessary, throw someone under the bus as long (as it is a subordinate.)” In other words, precede your lies with “That’s an excellent question…” then proceed to unload the boatload of manure. No Press Secretary in recent history has had to do more of that than Robert Gibbs.

WASHINGTON – The White House is contradicting the NASA administrator's claim that President Barack Obama assigned him to reach out to Muslims on science matters. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden recently told Al-Jazeera network that one of the charges Obama gave him was "to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science and engineering." Some conservative activists criticized the remarks. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday that such activities are not among Bolden's assigned tasks. He said administration officials have spoken with...

WASHINGTON – The White House is contradicting the NASA administrator's claim that President Barack Obama assigned him to reach out to Muslims on science matters. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden recently told Al-Jazeera network that one of the charges Obama gave him was "to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science and engineering." Some conservative activists criticized the remarks. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday that such activities are not among Bolden's assigned tasks. He said administration officials have spoken with...

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden revealed his plans to improve relations between America's space exploration agency and the Muslim world to Al Jazeera before Congress, the Washington Examiner reported. Bolden called a couple of lawmakers with the news on June 28, after his interview with the Middle East news organization but before it aired, the newspaper reported. "He ran down some of the things from the president's new space policy, and mentioned outreach to Muslims," Rep. Pete Olson, the top Republican on the House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics recalled to the newspaper. "That stunned me. I didn't believe it." "NASA...

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden revealed his plans to improve relations between America's space exploration agency and the Muslim world to Al Jazeera before Congress, the Washington Examiner reported. Bolden called a couple of lawmakers with the news on June 28, after his interview with the Middle East news organization but before it aired, the newspaper reported. "He ran down some of the things from the president's new space policy, and mentioned outreach to Muslims," Rep. Pete Olson, the top Republican on the House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics recalled to the newspaper. "That stunned me. I didn't believe it." Bolden's...

When you think things couldn't possibly get dumberer (its a word...when playing Scrabble with Biden...) with the Obama Administration, check out NASA Administrator Charles Bolden's attempt to employ the comedy's classic rule of three with Al Jazeera... (You can view the video embedded in the original post here or at YouTube) The FOREMOST item on NASA's agenda is to "reach out to the Muslim world?!?" to help them "feel good..." Either somebody needs to get our president a cigarette, because he MUST be suffering from nicotine withdrawal, or Obama is bored with being president and now wants to be...

Michael Griffin, former head of NASA for the Bush administration, came out swinging today about Charles Bolden's assertion that the "prime mission" of NASA is to make Muslims feel better about themselves. I wonder how some of the other people who spent their careers making NASA what it is will respond?

This is a truly remarkable video found at Powerline of NASA administrator Charles Bolden telling al-Jazeera that NASA is now tasked "to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with predominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science, math, and engineering." The agency that sent a man to the moon has been enlisted to improve the self-esteem of Muslims.

NASA has a new mission under president Barry Hussein Soetoro and it isn’t to boldly go [in space] where no man has gone before. Moreover, NASA’s primary mission isn’t to revisit the moon or to even land on an asteroid for now. On Talk to Jazeera an English speaking Islamic television show the New Administrator of NASA, Charles Bolden a Black man, on the first anniversary of president Barry Hussein Soetoro Cairo speech is visiting in the Islamic world and interviewing in an effort to encourage Muslims according to Mr. Bolden. Mr. Bolden said that the president charged him with...

In the video below, Charles Bolden, head of NASA, tells Al Jazeera that the "foremost" task President Obama has given him is "to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with predominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science, math, and engineering." Thus, NASA's primary mission is no longer to enhance American science and engineering or to explore space, but to boost the self-esteem of "predominantly Muslim nations." Exploring space didn't even make the top three things Obama wants Bolden to accomplish. The other two are "re-inspire...

While millions of barrels of spilled oil choke the Gulf of Mexico, NASA is working on an ocean-based biofuels venture that could revolutionize clean-energy production at sea and treat wastewater at the same time. The scientist running the $10 million experiment, called Project OMEGA, uses words such as groundbreaking and exciting to describe his baby. But there's a hitch. NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden doesn't believe in OMEGA — and has sought to slow it down. The reason: He was advised against it by Marathon Oil — the Texas-based company on whose board Bolden sat until he was named NASA administrator...

WASHINGTON — NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden said Tuesday that President Barack Obama has asked him to “find ways to reach out to dominantly Muslim countries” as the White House pushes the space agency to become a tool of international diplomacy. “In addition to the nations that most of you usually hear about when you think about the International Space Station, we now have expanded our efforts to reach out to non-traditional partners,” said Bolden, speaking to a lecture hall of young engineering students.