KBH on NASA: Beware the Big Red Menace!!!
» Chron: U.S. has come too far to forfeit space lead to China (Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison)
KBH rides to the rescue for some big NASA spending ...
Today, we are on the verge of another Sputnik moment. In November, China will launch its first lunar orbiter -- a major milestone in its rapidly developing space program. In fact, China's progress has been so substantial the Chinese are planning on landing a man on the moon by 2020. A decade or so from now, China's red flag may be flying on the lunar surface.In this ominous environment, you would think Washington would be trying to recharge America's commitment to space exploration. In fact, the opposite is happening. Right now, NASA is planning to retire the space shuttle in 2010. Until its replacement is ready (not expected until 2015) the United States will have no way to launch humans into space.
During this five-year time gap, we will have to rely on Russia to get our own scientists and astronauts to the International Space Station. As the world's leader in space technology, it is simply unacceptable that we will be in this position of technological dependency. Our national security depends on our ability to explore space without relying on nations who may not always have our best interests at heart. Thankfully, there is still time to prevent this frightful scenario from becoming reality.
Congress should provide NASA with the added funds it needs to narrow or close the gap in our human spaceflight capability, by accelerating Ares and Orion-- the shuttle replacement vehicles -- providing increased support to potential commercial vehicles, and, if necessary, keeping the space shuttle flying longer than 2010. This will ensure that America stays in control of its space destiny.
I'm well aware that support for NASA $$$ is bipartisan and pretty broad - if not near-universal. But when the only thing you can remember about what a federal agency has done over the past 20 years is blowing up two vehicles and ending the lives of some incredibly talented people, I'm thinking it's time to hang it up and turn this over to the private sector.
I agree with your point, but you forgot to also mention the wasted money spent on all those Depends diapers. LoL
Let the Chinese go to the Moon. They can find out like we did that the Moon has no air there and just some grey dust.
Greg,
Gasp! WTF?
As a former NASA brat, I would hasten to point out that former Sen. Graham's underground super-collider spent 150B to see what happens to the changes in tiny particles, in order to extrapolate scientifically some deep secrets of the universe. That's it. I think Waxahatchie got a Pancake House and some portable buildings out of the deal. This was not a NASA project.
If we don't have NASA, who will protect us from the space invaders? Develope the next "Tang"? Or create thousands of aerospace contract jobs for the Houston area?
LD