[boris]

None of this will happen. Not one of his ideas. Zip. Zero. Zilch.

NASA's budget is a ripe plum waiting for plunder. When terrorists ignite a dirty nuke in Chicago or release Smallpox in Baltimore, kiss it good by.

This nation will focus on terrorism and dealing with radical Islam, and NASA simply will not be on the radar screen, much less a priority.

U.S. leadership in space is over.

We will do none of the above in my lifetime. Perhaps the Japanese or Chinese, but the U.S. Space program is finished, kaput, dead.

--Boris

[RadioAstronomer]

We will do none of the above in my lifetime. Perhaps the Japanese or Chinese, but the U.S. Space program is finished, kaput, dead.

Not just the space program, but all (not already funded) "big" science seems to be on a back burner.

[Nateman]

This nation will focus on terrorism and dealing with radical Islam, and NASA simply will not be on the radar screen, much less a priority.

Don't be so sure. The high ground is the best place to be militarily and you don't get any higher than the moon. A simple boulder thrown from moon hits the Earth with the energy of a nuclear bomb. If you had a Chinese base built up on the moon that had such a capability you can sure bet we'd want one too. I figure the best bet though is to get there first and use mining as the excuse to get a base started.
 You could simply foam the metal in zero gravity and then land it in the Pacific for pick up. ( It would be light enough to float! ) Foamed metal can't be made here on Earth but It is nifty stuff to build lots of things with once you do have it.

Once space starts making the big bucks you will have a hard time stopping the progress!

[Kakaze]

" None of this will happen. Not one of his ideas. Zip. Zero. Zilch. NASA's budget is a ripe plum waiting for plunder. When terrorists ignite a dirty nuke in Chicago or release Smallpox in Baltimore, kiss it good by. This nation will focus on terrorism and dealing with radical Islam, and NASA simply will not be on the radar screen, much less a priority. U.S. leadership in space is over "

Can't argue it seems over or at least put side ( space exploration)

But the truth is..this country was never better than when it had a frontier and the only frontier we have now is off this rock.If we don't realise it soon its gonna be like watching rome fall all over.

[snopercod]

None of this will happen. Not one of his ideas. Zip. Zero. Zilch.

I agree. America no longer has the industrial might to do any of this.

[FreedomPoster]

We need to nuke NASA in any case. They are not part of the answer. It has become a welfare program for technocrats. The administrator:engineer ratio passed 1:1 some time ago, and there is no institutional imperative to reduce the cost/pound-to-orbit and turn-around while increasing the safety; all we see is an imperative to "keep the shuttle flying at all costs". There is no meaningful development for a replacement, as that would imperil the welfare program.

The energy required to get to orbit is about the same as the energy required to fly from the Continental U.S. to Australia. Privatize space, we need a SSTO solution that is at least an order of magnitude cheaper than the shuttle.

For some interesting discussion and good links, try here:
http://www.space-access.org/
and here:
http://www.jerrypournelle.com/mail/mail258.html#NASA

http://www.jerrypournelle.com/slowchange/why_have_nasa.htm