Obama/McCain and space exploration

[cheerfulgreek]

Does anyone know what Barack Obama or John McCain's spending plan will be for the space program? I'm just wondering, because I was just thinking about the speech former President Bush gave on space exploration. It was sometime in the late 80s. I think I was about 5 or 6, but I remember his speech was in regards to committing the nation to a sustained program of human exploration of the solar system and permanent settlement of space. I remember him speaking about (as I can remember) the need for more than a 20 year plan, of a long range continuing committment to space exploration. I do know it was because of him that the Space Exploration Initiative was created. I actually thought it was an excellent start, but it was all downhill from there.

I don't know why, but for some odd reason, all the talk about going to Mars disappeared. Exploring Mars was supposed to take place in 2000, then I heard 2008, now I'm hearing 2012. I'm just wondering if Obama or McCain will follow through with it, or if anything was mentioned about it. I'm not sure of the cost, but I'll bet it would be far less than the money that's being wasted in Iraq.

I know I won't be here to see it, but I definitely think Mars is where the action will be in the next century.

[LightBulb]

A friend who works at NASA told me that Obama wants to cut NASA's funding drastically. I researched this a bit a while back and found people writing that this was terrible because it would keep new people from beginning careers at NASA. Essentially, this said that when NASA started getting sufficient funding again, it would start back years behind schedule because a new set of people would have to be trained.

I don't know McCain's stance on this.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by LightBulb

A friend who works at NASA told me that Obama wants to cut NASA's funding drastically. I researched this a bit a while back and found people writing that this was terrible because it would keep new people from beginning careers at NASA. Essentially, this said that when NASA started getting sufficient funding again, it would start back years behind schedule because a new set of people would have to be trained.

I don't know McCain's stance on this.

o.k. I like Obama a lot and I totally agree with most of the things he's said, but to cut back NASA's funding totally does not make any sense at all! If he makes it in office, (and I still want him to) he's going to have to change this. Seriously. I don't even think it would cost that much. I mean, the United States has on hand all the technologies required for undertaking within a decade an aggressive, continuing program of human Mars exploration. I think we actually can reach Mars with relatively small spacecraft launched directly to Mars by boosters embodying the same technology that carried astronauts to the Moon eons ago. I don't see why he would want to cut funding. It's not like we're just beginning. I think we could be ready to go within the next 5-10 years, without spending a ton of money.

[AGDee]

Page 10 of Obama's Science and Technology plan talks about NASA. It sounds to me like he considers it important.

http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issue...eetScience.pdf

[CrackerBarrel]

Originally Posted by AGDee

Page 10 of Obama's Science and Technology plan talks about NASA. It sounds to me like he considers it important.

http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/issue...eetScience.pdf

Originally Posted by Obama Fact Sheet

...engages international allies and draws on expertise in the private sector.

There are the code words for cut funding for ya.

[Senusret I]

Yeah.....I kind of don't care about space exploration.

[AGDee]

I value space exploration and it has brought us a lot of technological advances that became mainstream. There's also a lot of research happening out there. However, given the crises we're in right now, I don't see it as an "essential" as I do other programs.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AGDee

I value space exploration and it has brought us a lot of technological advances that became mainstream. There's also a lot of research happening out there. However, given the crises we're in right now, I don't see it as an "essential" as I do other programs.

Yeah, I think it's way down on the list.

[preciousjeni]

From the Tampa Tribune:

http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/aug...tells-space-c/

A Modified Proposal

In response, Obama campaign spokeswoman Adrianne Marsh said his decision not to delay the Constellation program by at least five years to 2020 or later "is not a reversal."

Rather, she said he has modified an earlier proposal that creates a "win-win" scenario by keeping Constellation on track while funding the early education program through alternative spending offsets.

Although she could not provide dollar-for-dollar trade-offs, Marsh noted that other ways the campaign has identified to help pay for the early education program are reforming and reducing earmark spending and reforming federal contracting procedures.

Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee was hitting back at McCain. In a statement, the committee said it is McCain, not Obama, who must explain past positions on NASA and space programs.

"Once again, John McCain and his campaign have decided to take the low road rather than defend his own record on NASA issues," DNC spokesman Damien LaVera said. "Not only has McCain voted to take funding from NASA to fund other priorities, but his 'fantasy' plan to pay for making the Bush's tax cuts permanent by freezing discretionary funding and vetoing every bill with earmarks would cost the Mars mission millions."

Obama has consistently expressed support for education, particularly in the areas of math and science. If we weren't in such a financial pickle, I have a feeling he'd pump plenty of funding into NASA.

[DaemonSeid]

Originally Posted by AGDee

I value space exploration and it has brought us a lot of technological advances that became mainstream. There's also a lot of research happening out there. However, given the crises we're in right now, I don't see it as an "essential" as I do other programs.

We can barely afford gas to get cross town (at least now it's managable) so I think we are a bit too broke to be thinking about going to another planet so we can f*ck that one up too.

NASA has to get rid of the old shuttle fleet and find reasosn why they keep going up there (fouling the weather while they are at it) so it will be worth something.

[CrackerBarrel]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

We can barely afford gas to get cross town (at least now it's managable) so I think we are a bit too broke to be thinking about going to another planet so we can f*ck that one up too.

NASA has to get rid of the old shuttle fleet and find reasosn why they keep going up there (fouling the weather while they are at it) so it will be worth something.

We finally agree on something. I like the space program and think it is exciting, but right now most of our manned missions seem to be going into space for the sake of flying up there. I haven't heard any convincing evidence of what the manned space program has accomplished in recent years (since they repaired Hubble). The last big crossover into mainstream consumer technology was things created during the development of the shuttle. That's been a pretty good while.

[PeppyGPhiB]

It's well known in the aerospace community that the current space shuttle is getting ready to be retired. A new space shuttle is being designed. Cheerfulgreek, as you can imagine, this will NOT be cheap. Also, in case you missed it, NASA has been doing research on Mars, just not with people on the ground there. It's even been in the news recently. We have learned a lot from the space program, but in these times when we can't afford to run our country on this planet, I think cutting space trips is a wise decision.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by PeppyGPhiB

It's well known in the aerospace community that the current space shuttle is getting ready to be retired. A new space shuttle is being designed. Cheerfulgreek, as you can imagine, this will NOT be cheap. Also, in case you missed it, NASA has been doing research on Mars, just not with people on the ground there. It's even been in the news recently. We have learned a lot from the space program, but in these times when we can't afford to run our country on this planet, I think cutting space trips is a wise decision.

Yes, this is correct. I was watching a documentary this past weekend on the space program, called "Space Shuttle Disaster." Like Peppy said, the shuttles are being retired. After the Columbia disaster, NASA (well the Columbia disaster advisory board) re-evaluated why they were taking people up in space. So they are coming out with new "shuttles" that are going to be designed like the early Apollo rockets were. They will have one "shuttle" designed to carry cargo, like things they need to repair the international space station with, and one to carry humans.

The whole idea of redesigning these rockets was to prevent human death like what happened with Columbia or with Challenger.

NASA's funding has been cut before, with the Nixon administration and it wasn't truly until George W. Bush (our current president) that NASA gained more funding for human space exploration.

[PhiGam]

I think that we should drastically reduce space exploration until our economy begins to bounce back, there are simply more important things right now then spending billions to fly to a frozen rock.

[JonoBN41]

Apparently a rumor that Obama would kill the space program (so -hint hint - vote for McCain - hint hint) has been circulating through NASA. A fraternity brother of mine who works at the Johnson Space Center in Houston was absolutely frantic about it. Unfortunately, he neglected to check it out for himself. I checked it out online in a few seconds and found that Obama is very much in favor of continuing the space program. In fact, John Glenn supports Obama and his program.

I don't know where McCain stands on the issue, the relevance of which is becoming less and less every day.

Cheerfulgreek, I was amused by your comment about astronauts landing on the moon eons ago, since I watched (live and in person) the last two Apollo missions (Apollo 16 and Apollo 17) launch from KSC. In a way, it does seem like eons ago. I was initiated two days after Apollo 16's return to earth. Apollo 17 was a night launch in December, just before Christmas Break.

Jono