The "New" NASA under obama

[nikimcbee]

With the demise of the shuttle program, obama reshapes NASA to fit his priorities.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAONkS06LFU&feature=youtu.be

[TLAM Strike]

http://img713.imageshack.us/img713/6347/520c7a4129ab480dad18b62.jpg


When you want NASAs budget slashed remember this:

Out of a $2.4 trillion budget, less than 0.8% is spent on the entire space program! That's less than 1 penny for every dollar spent. It has been conservatively estimated by U.S. space experts that for every dollar the U.S. spends on R and D in the space program, it receives $7 back in the form of corporate and personal income taxes from increased jobs and economic growth. Besides the obvious jobs created in the aerospace industry, thousands more are created by many other companies applying NASA technology in nonspace related areas that affect us daily.source (http://www.thespaceplace.com/nasa/spinoffs.html)

[Takeda Shingen]

Angry, angry neocons.

[Rilder]

As much as there is a need to explore space, its not really practical for the US right now when the government can't even afford a meal at McDonalds. :rotfl2:

Maybe when they can afford to stick a model rocket engine onto a McDonalds kids meal toy, THEN they can restart the pouring copious amounts of cash into NASA.

[Torplexed]

Can anyone name me a president since Kennedy that has had a clear plan for America in space? Not just vague promises, but an actual vision of where we're going and how long to get there? :hmmm:

[TLAM Strike]

Can anyone name me a president since Kennedy that has had a clear plan for America in space? Not just vague promises, but an actual vision of where we're going and how long to get there? :hmmm:

Reagan... (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Defense_Initiative)

[Torplexed]

Reagan... (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Defense_Initiative)

The Strategic Defense Initiative was about defense more than about pushing out to new frontiers. I do recall Reagan proposed Space Station Freedom. Although announced in the 1984 State of the Union Address, Freedom was never constructed or completed as originally designed, and after years of cutbacks and revisions, the remnants of the project were folded into the International Space Station. Which still leaves us in Low Earth Orbit.

Ever since Apollo it feels like American space policy has been more about aimlessly making work than having a real long term goal.

[razark]

Ever since Apollo it feels like American space policy has been more about aimlessly making work than having a real long term goal.
Apollo wasn't about exploration. It was just a pissing contest with the Russians.

We won, we demonstrated we could do it, and we haven't been back in almost 40 years.

[TLAM Strike]

The Strategic Defense Initiative was about defense more than about pushing out to new frontiers.
But a massive military deployment in to space would have required an Ground to Orbit infrastructure that we don't have today. More infrastructure (more rockets, more launch pads, and more places building rockets) means cheaper launches which in turn means the non military ventures become cheaper.

[Sailor Steve]

...we haven't been back in almost 40 years.
There's a reason for that, you know.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F6DU6gx7-w

[nikimcbee]

There's a reason for that, you know.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F6DU6gx7-w
hhmm, I thought it was because the decline in quality of the US astronaut?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnPGDWD_oLE

[Onkel Neal]

hhmm, I thought it was because the decline in quality of the US astronaut?


I think it's more of a the decline in quality of the US citizen.

The space program is a good mirror of American society. The tide for America is going out. Kennedy, we miss you.

[nikimcbee]

I think it's more of a the decline in quality of the US citizen.

The space program is a good mirror of American society. The tide for America is going out. Kennedy, we miss you.

Jeebus, I'm losing control of this thread.:dead:

So we can't explore for unchartered golf courses then?

[Penguin]

I think it's a shame that Obama's budget cuts went so deep, that the NASA can't even afford to give weapons to the Astronauts to defend against two aggressive aliens!

[papa_smurf]

NASA announce new crew:

http://i56.tinypic.com/mj7rtg.jpg

[razark]

NASA announce new crew:

Nah. This is the crew they launched on Friday:
http://a57.foxnews.com/static/managed/img/Scitech/660/371/lego-juno-minifigures.jpg
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/08/05/lego-figures-flying-on-nasa-jupiter-probe/

[yubba]

What no Muuusssss limmmmmmmmsssss in space

[Biggles]

I thought one of the major reasons why we haven't gone back to the moon since 1972 is that there isn't any particular reason to why we should. We learned alot from the landings, but they did cost a substantial amount of money and it would be impractical to perform a moon landing just for the heck of it.

[Winston]

What about the sons and daughters of todays pioneering space tourist? Where will they holiday? Oh, that’s right, Bognor bloody Regis. :O:

[TLAM Strike]

What no Muuusssss limmmmmmmmsssss in space
As requested...
http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/5952/cartoonmullahsinspace79.jpg