Sunday, January 31, 2010

American Space Program

The President is seeking to single-handedly end the American Space Program. He wants NASA to research and monitor climate change. That is a job for NOAA. We could save tax dollars and use simple observation – better known as the WKRP method. The climate is cooling. It has been for the last ten years. Some are just unwilling to accept this fact.

NASA is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The President is trying to take the Space out of NASA. It would be short-sighted in the extreme to end the Space Program. We are the leader in space exploration and development. Why do we seek to throw this away? Does Washington just feel the need to denigrate American exceptionalism? Should we just throw away what we have already invested in our Space Program – all the money and lives?

We can not depend on Russia for access to the Space Station. Russia is not our friend. Once Russia controls sole access to the Space Station, Russia owns the Space Station. It can do whatever it wants with it. It could even militarize it. We could not prevent it. We would be a third world country of space. Commercial flights to the Space Station would not be available for many years. If nothing else, we need to maintain a limited shuttle program until the gap is filled. Two shuttles could be kept flight ready. The other shuttle could be used for parts. Even if we only flew two missions a year, we would still be in the game.

Should one man be allowed to destroy the entire United States Space Program? NASA is a mere drop in the federal budget. The government wastes money on turtle tunnels and swine manure research, but our Space Program is expendable? Where are Washington’s priorities? It is now up to Congress.

Will Congress allow the Dream to live on or will it throw away all that we have accomplished?

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