Posted on 11/20/2013 5:41:54 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Discretionary Spending--Option 11 Eliminate Human Space Exploration Programs
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Human Exploration and Operations programs focus on developing systems and capabilities required to explore deep space while continuing operations in low- Earth orbit. The exploration programs fund research and development of the next generation of systems for deep space exploration and provide technical and financial support to the commercial space industry. Complementing those efforts, NASA's space operations programs involve operating in low-Earth orbit, most notably using the International Space Station, as well as providing space communications capabilities.
This option would terminate NASA's human space exploration and space operations programs, except for those necessary to meet space communications needs (such as communication with the Hubble Space Telescope). The agency's science and aeronautics programs and robotic space missions would continue. Eliminating those human space programs would save $73 billion between 2015 and 2023, the Congressional Budget Office estimates.
The main argument for this option is that increased capabilities in electronics and information technology have generally reduced the need for humans to fly space missions. The scientific instruments used to gather knowledge in space rely much less (or not at all) on nearby humans to operate them. NASA and other federal agencies have increasingly adopted that approach in their activities on Earth, using robots to perform missions without putting humans in harm's way. For example, NASA has been using remotely piloted vehicles to track hurricanes over the Atlantic Ocean at much longer distances than those for which tracking aircraft are conventionally piloted.
Eliminating humans from spaceflights would avoid risk to human life and would decrease the cost of space exploration by reducing the weight and complexity of the vehicles needed for the missions. (Unlike instruments, humans need water, air, food, space to move around in, and rest.) In addition, by replacing people with instruments, the missions could be made one way -- return would be necessary only when the mission required it, such as to collect samples for further analysis -- thus eliminating the cost, weight, and complexity of return and reentry into the Earth's atmosphere.
A major argument against this option is that eliminating human spaceflight from the orbits near Earth would end the technical progress necessary to prepare for human missions to Mars (even though those missions are at least decades away). Moreover, if, in the future, robotic missions proved too limiting, then human space efforts would have to be restarted. Another argument against this option is that there may be some scientific advantage to having humans at the International Space Station to conduct experiments in microgravity that could not be carried out in other, less costly, ways. (However, the International Space Station is currently scheduled to be retired in 2020, postponed from an earlier decommissioning in 2015.)
That's right, because raising the price of imports never raises the price of domestic production. LOL!
. Eliminating those human space programs would save $73 billion between 2015 and 2023, the Congressional Budget Office estimates.
....Hell, we print that much in less than one month AND THEY DON’T WANT TO SPEND IT OVER 8 YEARS? !!!!!
5 PERCENT ACROSS THE BOARD CUTS that’s .....a nickel out of each dollar.
If you don’t agree, then you don’t really want American to be a great industrial power.
I think we are on opposite sides, of America making things.
I want America to make things.
I am not sure what you want.
Wow. What a can't do attitude.
You’re just like a liberal. You cannot wish things to happen. there is a pricetag, and that price tag is a much smaller, less intrusive government, and lower taxes, not more taxes.
I seriously doubt that you want that price to be paid, especially by you. Do you want the steel mill build next to your home? Or would you rather it be next door to someone else? Would you go to work in the blast furnace, or would you insist on running a nice, safe computer.
How about this: Quit bitching about American not making things, and start making them, yourself. Walk the talk.
I agree with you.
We need to encourage US manufacturing.
Start that, with a 10% tax on everything imported.
Across the board. Everything. No exceptions.
This will start to bring back American manufacturing, this will start to reverse the trend of the last generation, and it will also raise some money to pay for our 17 trillion (and rising) national debt.
Just saying.
China now has a lower unemployment rate than America does.
So, by making the cost of living higher, and by giving the government more money to spend restricting our freedom, you’re going to create prosperity?
are you a government employee? Maybe a college economics student, or perhaps a union thug.
I just want us to start bringing jobs to America.
For an entire generation, we have exported American jobs.
Bring jobs back to America.
Having said that, any budget proposal that doesn't end suicidal entitlement growth is a waste of paper. Any other attempt at savings is just going to go to feeding the beast for another five minutes.
How many people do you employ in your business?
So simple, isn't it? Why can't the liberal mind grasp that?
And why aren’t they the only ones? :’)
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