Obama Planning to Scrap Shuttle Replacement, Says NASA

[SUBMAN1]

Well, I expected disappointments from his administration, but nothing like this. NASA needs a new vehicle. The Chinese are already planning on building their moon base, as is India planing on going there, and Russia.

I feel we will turn into a welfare state, shrivel up, and die. I'm sure most Europeans want this, but not most Americans.

-S

President-elect's transition team planning to use decades-old military rockets instead, say insiders.

President-Elect Obama's transition team is planning to scrap NASA's Ares program, the successor to the Space Shuttle, say NASA advisors. The transition team is demanding deep cuts from the agency, and is investigating whether old military rockets such as the Delta IV and Atlas V could be used in place of Ares.

NASA plans a permanent moon base by 2020, followed by a manned mission to Mars; plans which the agency says require Ares.

The Space Shuttle is due to make its last flight in 2010. Without a replacement, NASA may be without a manned space capability entirely, for the first time since the 1960s, a gap that NASA says would destroy the U.S.'s primacy in space technology.

Prior news reports have hinted at a great deal of tension between Obama's team and NASA, a report that NASA Administrator Michael Griffon has denied.

On the campaign trail, Obama blew both hot and cold on plans for NASA's budget. In the NASA-friendly states of Texas and Florida, he promised to expand NASA's budget by more than 10%. In other states, however, he promised cuts and delays to the agency, in order to help fund his education policies.

Lori Garver, a space policy advisor for Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, was selected by Obama to lead the NASA review transition team. Despite being criticized for her lack of an engineering or scientific background, Garver has been called a favorite to be the next NASA Administrator.

Ares program manager Steve Cook says that, with Ares due for its first test flight next summer, halting the program now would be an expensive mistake. "We would be really stepping backwards" by opting for a different launch platform.

Space Historian Andrew Chaikin said that, "Obama's first priority for NASA should be to get the Shuttle's replacement on track".http://www.dailytech.com/Obama+Plann...ticle13750.htm

An artist's conception of Nasa's Ares Rocket

[breadcatcher101]

It would be a shame if this happens. NASA's budget is but a drop in the bucket compared to the trillions we throw away on welfare programs that simply haven't worked throughout the years.

[Stealth Hunter]

Things have changed with our country. What's more important: NASA's budget or the United States' economy? In these times of hardship and financial troubles, sacrifices are going to have to be made. If we have to scrap a few expensive programs related to research that can wait in order to help the country, then so be it.

[Aramike]

Originally Posted by Stealth Hunter

Things have changed with our country. What's more important: NASA's budget or the United States' economy? In these times of hardship and financial troubles, sacrifices are going to have to be made. If we have to scrap a few expensive programs related to research that can wait in order to help the country, then so be it.

I don't see how technologically handicapping ourselves helps.

Sure, we get a little more money to throw around. Frankly, however, I believe that throwing money around is what got us into this mess in the first place.

[Stealth Hunter]

Originally Posted by Aramike

I don't see how technologically handicapping ourselves helps.

Sure, we get a little more money to throw around. Frankly, however, I believe that throwing money around is what got us into this mess in the first place.

Why is it so important to, at this very moment, pour millions of dollars into NASA's research? It can wait. Right now, we should be using that money to rebuild the country.

[Aramike]

Originally Posted by Stealth Hunter

Why is it so important to, at this very moment, pour millions of dollars into NASA's research? It can wait. Right now, we should be using that money to rebuild the country.

Well, first I have to ask what you mean by "rebuilding the country".

Secondly, one must recognize that we are in a fiat currency system. If you take away NASA's funding you would be losing the immense resources it has in favor of dollars that don't represent any resources whatsoever.

[Stealth Hunter]

Originally Posted by Aramike

Well, first I have to ask what you mean by "rebuilding the country".

Our economy is a mess. Cutting some of NASA's budget and projects would allow us to save money, and thus begin cleaning up our ecnomic state.

Originally Posted by Aramike

Secondly, one must recognize that we are in a fiat currency system. If you take away NASA's funding you would be losing the immense resources it has in favor of dollars that don't represent any resources whatsoever.

It's not like you're taking all of their funding away, just some of it, and cut a few expensive projects here and there. NASA will still be alive and well, just with reduced fund to work with. BUT they can still work.

[NealT]

Sure...lets scrap NASA in it's entirety. Then, what to do with the money.

I know...let's throw it to the wolves who are benefiting from a wrecked economy that they helped wreck in the first place?

I know of a couple of companies that need some corporate jets...

I know of at least one more company that hasn't thrown it's executives a big party in at least a week.

Someone is out at least 52 Billion because they got caught scamming people...

We can put that money into banks! They know what to do with it.

Ya think?

Who needs Tang, Fuel Cell technology, or any other of that cr@p anyway...

I am a huge spporter of spaceflight R&D. Indeed I consider space vital to humankinds survival, given the current rate we waste ressources. Earthbound ressources are limited, after all, so we do not have a choice but begin mining and drilling in the slar system sooner or alter. If humanity does not kill itself in the meantime, we do not have a choice, period.

Spaceflight thus is majorly important. But to uphold it, you need a stable and functioning economy, else there is not much money available to build upon that research. The basics have to fit, and the US lacks these basics atm. Postponing space programs to rebuild the economy makes a lot of sense to me. After all what good is a new transport vehicle if the economy lacks the money to make use of it?

Btw, if you take all the money spend on war, you'd be able to triple both NASA and Spaceflight programs funing without cuts to anything else.

[SUBMAN1]

To the clueless - There is a reason America continues to lead the world, and that is its technical prowess. This is the #1 reason. If you cut that, then you bring us inline with mediocre. Then we can talk about a crappy economy because there will be nothing left to sustain it.

-S

[lesrae]

I often have this sort of chat with a mate in the pub, he's yet to convince me of any direct benefits we've realised from space flight, other than space flight tech, one-upmanship on lesser countries and teflon. I'm always open to education if any of you guys can help!

[SUBMAN1]

Originally Posted by lesrae

I often have this sort of chat with a mate in the pub, he's yet to convince me of any direct benefits we've realised from space flight, other than space flight tech, one-upmanship on lesser countries and teflon. I'm always open to education if any of you guys can help!

A whole slew of things have been learned.

One example and one I would consider the biggest - communication.

-S

PS. America wouldn't exist with your logic.

[SUBMAN1]

How has manned spaceflight impacted your life here on Earth? Notice this does not include processors designed in 0 G environments, solar panel research, or any of the space lab type data, none of it. This is strictly a list of devices that impact your daily life here on Earth:

http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/ca...1993072922.pdf

-S

PS. This list is only from 1987. Much more in the last 20 years.

[SUBMAN1]

I can think of 1000 things that wouldn't exist without manned spaceflight.

Some more examples:

GPS

Hubble Space Telescope

Water Purification in its current form

Fly-by-wire technology

I can go on all day.

-S

[breadcatcher101]

I used to have the numbers but NASA's budget is so low compared to other programs if it were completely shut down the money saved wouldn't even be noticed. Much better to fund it and have a leading edge in technology than to regress to a country that lacks any scientific resources.