posted 08-03-2009 11:04 AM               

It is my honest view that when the shuttle ceases flying next year, it will do so with absolutely no firm plans for ANY further manned space missions. Just look at the facts:

The lunar programme - as I predicted long ago - is already starting to exist on paper only. Sure, we've even seen a mock-up of the new Orion capsule. But that's all it is!
I don't see any evidence that the new U.S. administration is particularly enthusiastic.

I actually hope that someone can give me some hope that I am wrong. But hopes alone will not get a future programme off the ground.

posted 08-03-2009 11:45 AM               

To try to avoid that, I am going to make a few suggestions that will enable you to answer your own question:

• If you are interested in seeing what progress exists towards Constellation, to see that there exists much more hardware than an Orion mock-up, see the previous threads in this forum, the features on NASA's website and articles within other space news publications.

• If you are interested in the current political landscape as it applies to space exploration, you should be watching the Augustine Commission hearings on NASA TV, or read the transcripts from past hearings as posted to their website. The commission is generating options for the future of human space flight.

• If you are interested in learning how manned space exploration can go forward, you should become active within organizations such as the National Space Society, Mars Society, Space Frontier Foundation and British Interplanetary Society (to name a few), and read their publications, as they all do a commendable job reporting on what is possible and what is happening now.

posted 08-05-2009 09:48 AM               

To determine the best path forward, the President established the Review of United States Human Space Flight Plans committee, otherwise known as the Augustine Commission, to consider both the destinations and means of getting us there.

There is a public meeting of the committee on-going in Washington, DC today, which you can watch on NASA TV.

For a good summary as to what the commission has had to consider to date and the choices it faces, see Eric Berger's Obama's NASA dilemma in a nutshell.

From listening to the presentations, and reading the materials, it seems fairly clear to me that the committee's basic message will be: keep the current budget and have an eviscerated human spaceflight program, or spend more and give programs the funding they need to succeed.

And this is a healthy message for the President to hear.

posted 08-10-2009 07:13 PM               

Source: FloridaToday, July 21, 2009

These were the President's words while meeting with the Apollo 11 crew on the 40th anniversary of their landing.

I will be interested if he plans to make science cool again by advocating a robust space program, by directing those funds directly into education programs, or by some other means.

posted 08-10-2009 07:24 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by capoetc:
I will be interested if he plans to make science cool again by advocating a robust space program, by directing those funds directly into education programs, or by some other means.

---

And I think it's very important for us to constantly remember that NASA was not only about feeding our curiosity, that sense of wonder, but also had extraordinary practical applications.

So I think on this 40th anniversary, we are -- all of us thank and grateful to all of you for what you've done, and we expect that there's, as we speak, another generation of kids out there who are looking up at the sky and are going to be the next Armstrong, Collins, and Aldrins. And we want to make sure that NASA is going to be there for them when they want to take their journey.

posted 08-10-2009 09:54 PM               

quote:

---

Originally posted by Robert Pearlman:
So in other words, his stated goal was framed by his belief that a strong NASA is important to achieving his objectives.

---

It was not my intent to take any quote out of context, which is why I included a source for the quote. My point is simply to say that it is quite clear what direction funding will take for NASA (flat, which in real dollars is a budget decrease), but I cannot agree that the President is signaling strong support for NASA.

My suspicion is that NASA will receive current funding levels for the out years in the budget. The follow on program for the shuttle will be an incremental program, allowing for "future expansion" when opportunities arise (ie, if future administrations decide to fund it).

The President's budget proposal (not yet approved by Congress) includes pretty much flat funding for NASA through 2014 ($18.7B in 2010, dropping to $18.6B for the next 3 years, then a slight increase to 18.9 in 2014 -- Source: OMB).

Nat'l Science Foundation sees about a 50% increase by 2014 ($6.5B to $9.7B). Dept of Education sees about a 50% increase in funding ($41.4B to $64.5B). Dept's of Defense and Homeland Security see budget decreases. One of the President's pet projects, the "National Infrastructure Bank", begins receiving $5B per year in new spending starting in 2010.

So, I think NASA's budget will remain essentially flat. The question remains, how will they be told to spend the money?