NASA faces 'Kennedy or Nixon' moment, former chief says

New Scientist Space ^ | 09/16/09 | David Shiga

[KevinDavis]

With NASA in a budget crisis, the US faces a historic choice between boosting human space exploration like President Kennedy did in the 1960s or confining astronauts to low-Earth orbit like President Nixon did a decade later, former NASA chief Mike Griffin told a congressional committee on Tuesday.

[KevinDavis]

For other space news go to: http://www.spacetoday.net

[buccaneer81]

It’s going to far worse than what Nixon did to NASA.

[GeronL]

This is a very sad time.

[KevinDavis]

More like what Carter did to NASA

[PetroniusMaximus]

Well, now that ACORN has a little free time on their hands...

[Frantzie]

NASA is now an intergalactic Postal Service and jobs program/make work project.

Somebody please put that NASA poverty pimp Bill Nelson ona deep space probe with a one way ticket.

[buccaneer81]

My prediction, and I pray I’m wrong, is that the next American to set foot on the Moon will do so from a foreign vessel.

[KevinDavis]

or we could see someone from a new American Republic on the moon..

[buccaneer81]

or we could see someone from a new American Republic on the moon..

As President Palin congratulates them...

[SunkenCiv]

a historic choice between boosting human space exploration like President Kennedy did in the 1960s or confining astronauts to low-Earth orbit like President Nixon did a decade later

As we all know, Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, and didn't write the budget for 1961. Nixon was inaugurated in 1969, the height of Vietnam and a backlash against "wasting money" on space exploration. His first budget was for 1970. The Shuttle didn't fly until the 1980s, and has continued to fly (off and on, obviously) for nearly thirty years, more than half of NASA's existence.

Those old hippie burnouts have false memory syndrome about their own behavior. And the joker regurgitating this commonplace screed is either just stupid or a liar.

[ALOHA RONNIE]

.

Candidate OBAMA likened his Change Quest to JFK’s sending America to Earth’s Moon, beating Communist Russia during the 1960’s.

President OBAMA prevents America’s return to Earth’s Moon and arrival on MARS, giving Russia it’s open window to Lunar and Planetary Space travel victory in the 21st Century.

Next stop for Russia = MARS by 2025, by its own goal declaration.

As OBAMA/HILLARY now concentrate instead on pushing a Constitutionally expelled former Communist President back on the backs of a Free Honduras in Central America, Earth.

.

NUTS.

.

[Mr Inviso]

“As we all know, Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, and didn’t write the budget for 1961. Nixon was inaugurated in 1969, the height of Vietnam and a backlash against “wasting money” on space exploration. His first budget was for 1970. The Shuttle didn’t fly until the 1980s, and has continued to fly (off and on, obviously) for nearly thirty years, more than half of NASA’s existence.

Those old hippie burnouts have false memory syndrome about their own behavior. And the joker regurgitating this commonplace screed is either just stupid or a liar.”

One of the biggest villains (if one can use that term) for reducing NASA to relative inffectiveness during the 1970’s was Carter accomplice and Epic-failed Democratic nominee Walter Mondale. He was a one-man wrecking ball aimed at the manned spaceflight program, and he was in a powerful position to do them the harm he did, as a senator. Nixon was not the best for pushing space exploration, but the real damage to the programs was done in Congress by the Democrats there. Nixon could not have done much there after 1972 anyway, that year was tied up in re-election, and from ‘73 on, Watergate neutered Nixon. Ford was just a caretaker, and everyone knew it at the time. Carter was the next effective President, and he had no love for the space program. As VP, Mondale was (ex oficio) in charge of the space council, and you can be sure he did his darnedest to kill everything. That’s what really kept the Shuttle from being ready far earlier and also was a factor in a lot of the compromises made in the Shuttle design. It took Reagan coming back in to get things on track again.

[anymouse]

Good historical correction summary. The Democrats have always viewed the “space program” as a jobs and/or social engineering and/or diplomacy vehicle. Republicans see it as either a defense issue and/or economic development vehicle. Few people see the difference; mainly due to the lamestream media purposefully or due to incompetency avoiding reporting on the difference.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks, Mr Inviso, excellent!

[SunkenCiv]

Wow, and I love that tagline!