[shortstop]

I can't believe we're shutting down our wonderful Muslim Outreach Program called NASA./s I'm sure it's much better to funnel our money into illegal aliens, lazyazz people who won't work and those inner city baby machines pumping out future Democrat voters. This isn't America anymore.

[cripplecreek]

Nobody talks about it but the international outer space treaty is the real hurdle. Space has the same status as Antarctica.

The Outer Space Treaty represents the basic legal framework of international space law. Among its principles, it bars States Parties to the Treaty from placing nuclear weapons or any other weapons of mass destruction in orbit of Earth, installing them on the Moon or any other celestial body, or to otherwise station them in outer space. It exclusively limits the use of the Moon and other celestial bodies to peaceful purposes and expressly prohibits their use for testing weapons of any kind, conducting military maneuvers, or establishing military bases, installations, and fortifications (Art.IV). However, the Treaty does not prohibit the placement of conventional weapons in orbit. The treaty also states that the exploration of outer space shall be done to benefit all countries and shall be free for exploration and use by all States.

The treaty explicitly forbids any government from claiming a celestial resource such as the Moon or a planet, since they are the Common heritage of mankind. Art. II of the Treaty states that "outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means". However, the State that launches a space object retains jurisdiction and control over that object. The State is also liable for damages caused by their space object and must avoid contaminating space and celestial bodies.

What's the point in exploration if everything you find is globally owned? There's no incentive for private industry to strive to be anything more than taxi driver, freight hauler, or innkeeper in space.

[DManA]

Blame science for the demise of the space program. In 50 years since we’ve gone outside the atmosphere they have found nothing, within our reach, that is worth going out there for.

[GonzoGOP]

Well if being an astronaut means flying on a government designed, government built, government owned and government operated spacecraft then yes the US is out of the space race. Of course if you can pay the freight there are some guys who are willing to fly you. And I'm willing to put real money that the Dragon will be flying crews before any ship designed and built by the the National Muslim Outreach Agency does.

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[hopespringseternal]

It really does come down to exploration or feeding people who refuse to work

There is a lot of political payoff in handing out goodies to ne'er-do-wells.

[Forgotten Amendments]

Another “conservative” calls the government “we”.

We can go to space any time. We shouldn’t have bureacrats doing it.

[ScottinVA]

We don’t make the Right Stuff anymore.

Instead, we grow lawyers. That's our contribution now.

[Wolfie]

Same ol’ same ol’: Cut something, but not my thing.

[mad_as_he$$]

NASA is broken beyond belief. They make other dysfunctional fed agencies look like the paradigm of efficient operation.

BTW Bob the private sector will step in and your kid can go to space if he wants.

[stuartcr]

NASA = Muslim outreach program???

[2001convSVT]

Government cheese became more important to us than national glory.

Right you are, the professional politician knows that government handouts, BUY VOTES (NASA doesn’t). That is why I know we will never be able to balance the Federal budget, pay down the debit or STOP printing money. We are done as a nation, Long Live the Republic of Texas! (until they lean that they can vote themselves money from the public Treasury).

[Westbrook]

In the late 60s, 70s, and 80s, the “Space Race” was a powerful economic driving force.

Large swathes of our technological advances are due to the applied research from the Space program.

Today, NASA is in the shadow of its former technological and scientific apex.

[count-your-change]

No, my son, you cannot be millionaire basketball player either but somehow life will go on and happiness will still exist.

[Lou L]

As of today, America is out of the space business.

Oh please. This sounds suspiciously like those pro-government whines when they talk about cutting funding for the arts...as if no art will ever be created again, if not for a grant by the government.

We do have a vested national security interest in the exploration of space. Did it ever occur to this author however, that it might not be so efficient to always require an actual astronaut in space to explore it? We do have the ability to launch unmanned rockets and space vehicles...and we don't even need the government to do it, at least not to fund it.

I know plenty of young boys who wanted to be rock stars, but for whatever reason, they couldn't. They choose other professions, are just as happy, and life goes on.

[NonValueAdded]

Correction for the author: Son, you CAN be an astronaut but you have to learn Russian or Mandarin first.