Posted on 02/11/2004 4:07:15 PM PST by vannrox
By MARCIA DUNN, AP Aerospace Writer
An aerospace executive warned a presidential commission Wednesday that NASA (news - web sites) does not have enough money ? or bright young stars ? to achieve President Bush (news - web sites)'s goal of returning astronauts to the moon and flying from there to Mars.
"It would be a grave mistake to undertake a major new space objective on the cheap. To do so, in my opinion, would be an invitation to disaster," said Norman Augustine, retired chairman of Lockheed Martin Corp. and head of a panel that examined the future of the space program for the first President Bush.The Mars plan that went no where because it's projhected cost would be around $500 Billion US$)
Augustine was among five aerospace experts who addressed the first public hearing of the current President Bush's space exploration commission, held in Washington.
Commission member Neil deGrasse Tyson, an astrophysicist who is director of the Hayden Planetarium in New York, asked Augustine whether $15 billion a year for 10 years would be enough to set NASA on course to fulfill the moon-and-then-on-to-Mars vision put forth by Bush one month ago. The space agency's annual budget has been around $15 billion in recent years.
Augustine pointed out that during the next decade, NASA will still have the enormous cost of running all its centers, the space shuttle fleet and the international space station, not to mention conducting research. He said the nation traditionally has underestimated the cost of big programs. This guy didn't do his homework. The SSI and Shuttle will be shelved. Kaput!
Tyson pressed Augustine, asking: "Are you suggesting $150 billion over the next 10 years would not be enough if it all went to that mission?"
Augustine replied that he had not done enough analysis to give an answer, "but I guess if I had to bet, I'd bet that it wouldn't be enough."
Neither Bush nor NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe has put a price tag on the plan to return astronauts to the moon by 2020, let alone sending them on to Mars a decade or more later. The president has proposed an extra $1 billion for NASA over the next five years for the initiative, and has directed the space agency to reallocate $11 billion within its budgets over the next five years to cover startup costs.
Retired Air Force Gen. Lester Lyles, another commission member, noted that this is a national program, not a NASA program, and that the budgets and technologies of other government agencies could be tapped into.
The commission's chairman, Edward "Pete" Aldridge, a retired Pentagon (news - web sites) official, said both the White House and NASA believe the new space initiative is affordable with small budget increases and reallocations, at least for the foreseeable future.
The nine-member commission has 120 days to complete its review of how best to implement the policy, and report back to the president.
Virtually everyone at the hearing supported the idea of a national space council or some other type of clearinghouse to oversee the effort, and stressed the need for strong White House support and also youth appeal.
Augustine, for one, said he is worried about NASA's graying work force. Back during the Apollo program, when NASA was sending men to the moon, the control center was filled with "a bunch of kids," he said.
"They looked like Silicon Valley did a few years ago: young, innovative, imaginative, creative people. They weren't people of my generation, for sure," the 68-year-old Augustine said, tapping his chest. "One can argue whether that's good or whether it's bad, but it sure served Apollo well."
Mark Bitterman of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (news - web sites)'s space enterprise council told commission members that they should take advantage of the high interest in the two NASA rovers now roaming Mars.
"We should be trying to tie them today, as best we can, to what we're trying to do later," he said. "We need to strike while the iron's hot."
Bitterman also suggested that Hollywood could help plug the new space exploration policy.
"After all, we're talking about doing things here about which movies were made not too long ago. We're talking about landing humans on Mars within the next few decades," Bitterman said.
"They weren't good movies, though," said one of the commissioners, drawing a big laugh.
On the Net:
Moon-Mars commission: www.moontomars.org
Let's find some who know how to do this and let those who don't watch from their comfy chair.
I wonder where that expression came from...
I learn something new every day... thanks.
Some days I was I had me an education.
then again...
Well more than that. These two little guys may resolve the question of going there or not, in the foreseeable future. It's well invested money, don't doubt it.
To Date, we HAVE NOT been able to create a "Robotic Explorer" EVEN MARGINALLY CLOSE to the Capabilities of a Human.
In terms of Total Cost, we STILL GET more "Bang-for-the-Buck" if we send Human Explorers into Space.
Of Course, the "Robot Guys" would "Argue" Differently!
The FACT REMAINS that the "Mark-1 Human Brain" is STILL capable of Discerning More than ANY "Robot" yet created!
In the next few Millenia, we will HAVE TO send Human Explorers; Our Robots are, Simply,"Not Up To It!!"
OR, we could decide that "The Exploration of Our Neighborhood" isn't "Worth It,"--& we could Concentrate on our "Social Problems!"
"Two Prisoners 'Looked Out' from Prison Bars;--One saw Mud, the Other "Stars!"
So, do we "Wallow in the Mud" of our Insoluble, Endless "Social Issues,"--or do we Deal with our "Social Problems," & "Look Out!!??"
In my Brief, Narrow, "Sampling" of "America;" I Believe That our Culture EXPECTS US to "Lead Them" "OUT!!"
Americans are NOT responsive to a "Static" "Future History," --Americans EXPECT Their Culture to "Progress!!--" "America" EXPECTS us to provide an Optimistic Future!!
The Americans we have "Talked-To," EXPECT "US" to go Back to the Moon--& ON to Mars!!
"W" has Stated the "Dreams & Aspirations" of our "Best & Brightest!!"
THUS FAR, hie "Opposition" has NOT "Made a Case" why "W's" "Vision" is "Impractible/Impossible!!"--& They CANNOT!!
The "Political Objections" are Petty & Immoral!
We are "Poised to 'Go to the Stars,"' & "W" has Given Us the "Go-Ahead!!"
LET IT BE SO!!"
If "W" Enables us to "Go to the Stars,"--he will be Forever Revered as "The One!!"
Doc
It already has:
Retired Air Force Gen. Lester Lyles, another commission member, noted that this is a national program, not a NASA program, and that the budgets and technologies of other government agencies could be tapped into.
An interesting thought, but somehow I doubt we'll be seeing AFDC or Medicare being pulled into this. It would be fun to try, though.
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