Posted on 12/05/2008 2:35:41 PM PST by Chet 99
WASHINGTON U.S. President-elect Barack Obama's NASA transition team is asking U.S. space agency officials to quantify how much money could be saved by canceling the Ares 1 rocket and scaling back the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle next year.
Obama pledged during his campaign to inject an additional $2 billion into NASA aimed in part at narrowing the gap between the space shuttle's retirement and the introduction of a successor system.
While NASA Administrator Mike Griffin and his senior managers are adamant that Ares and Orion are the right vehicles to fill that role, Obama did not endorse either system by name during his campaign.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
YES, HE DID
See above: "Here's what I'm committing to: Continue Constellation." Well, since the Aries rocket and Orion Crew Vehicle ARE Constellation, only the most rabbid Clintonian parser could say he did not endorse the systems by name.
Obama Lied, Space Died.
NASA; SDI, just two programs that will have to do with less or none at all so that the ‘urban voter’ may be rewarded for helping make history.
Brevard County, Florida ping.
Obama lied, the Space Coast died ping.
Let me know if you want on or off this list.
(not associated with the county government - NVA is a NGO!)
It’s only a request for info, but Mr Obama campaigned on speeding up the Ares/Orion. However, all bets are off.
The only person who was President while people were on the moon was Nixon.
Needs the money for ‘programs’.
What use does a 2nd world nation have with a space program?
That point is key. We want the smart guys (and gals) to have an outlet for their talents in THIS COUNTRY. We’ve already been outsourcing labor and manufacturing.. it’d be suicide to do that with the technical workers.
Thanx for the ping.
Sally Ride, denied.
A request for info, exploring the breaking of such an important campaign promise needs to result in singed fingers.
We need to wait and see what he does - I’m not going to panic yet.
He has sent mixed signals and has a knack for flip flopping.
I also agree that scrapping the shuttle’s replacement is a good idea. Manned spaceflight is not necessary for the development of space-based defense systems. Further, private industry can do manned space flight more cheaply and can innovate more quickly. Because the gov’t has been involved we’ve had to keep the shuttle going despite the fact that it’s basically ‘70s technology shoved into a school bus with wings.
As for going to Mars, let’s not waste the money for idle curiousity. The distance, the constant exposure to cosmic radiation, the dust microns in the thin Martian atmosphere, etc. make any prolonged human stay on the Martian surface risky beyond any feasible benefit. If the Chicoms or russkies want to put the first corpses on Mars, let them.
Obama will cost this nation trillions listening to the global warming frauds at NASA, but when it comes to listening to steely-eyed rocket men, Obama knows better.
but exploration for the sake of exploration is the very thing that gives greatness to Mankind. Unlike animals, we do more than simply eat and reproduce. Don’t we? Then let’s explore.
Promoting the useful sciences is one few express powers given to the Congress by the Constitution.
What question is more important to civilization than whether there is or was life on Mars?
The zero will cut
The Shuttle
The ISS, all this money and no science to date.
THe F35 and stall any future F22 buys
ALL of the advanced combat systems existing or planned
ALL but 3 (or maybe 4) of the carrier battle groups
The planned increases for the Army and USMC will be phased out over 2 to 4 years
There may be additional manning cuts across the board in all services, tho the Coasties may be spared the brunt of the cuts. NOAA is toast.
Feel free to add your picks...
Yesterday, Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff spoke before employees at JPL.
Basically, he lied about a lot of things, including the incoming administration’s support for the space community. BTW, they, like the car manufacturer community, voted for the guy. Fools!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.