In USATODAY
It is essential for the new Obama administration to pare government spending where possible and to reduce waste. However it is neither sensible nor reasonable to cut expenditure to a level which, will cripple the space exploration programme. The space agency's budget amounts to just $20.2 billion- 0.6% or less of national spending. Severe cuts will also put astronauts safety at greater risk.
In addition the US risks being relegated to third place behind Russia and China.
China plans to build a lunar base. By 2011 China will have started a programme of exploration focusing on Mars. The Chinese intend in the long term to launch manned space probes to Mars and Saturn.
Russia will resume unmanned lunar missions in 2009. A mission to Venus is planned for 2015. Russia plans to replace the ISS (International Space Station) with an all-Russian station in Earth orbit.This will be an assembly platform for probes to the Moon and Mars.
Unwise cuts by Obama will have grave implications for American security. Dominance in space is a sine qua non for global military superiority. The Chinese and Russians realise as much.
Members of the Texas congressional delegation say they plan to build alliances with other lawmakers as part of a campaign to head off possible deep budget cuts for NASA, officials said.
The drive comes amid expectations that billions of dollars will be shifted from various federal agencies into new programs to stimulate the economy and stabilize the financial system as President-elect Barack Obama seeks to rescue the economy, the Houston Chronicle reported Tuesday in an online story from its Washington bureau......
It is essential for the new Obama administration to pare government spending where possible and to reduce waste. However it is neither sensible nor reasonable to cut expenditure to a level which, will cripple the space exploration programme. The space agency's budget amounts to just $20.2 billion- 0.6% or less of national spending. Severe cuts will also put astronauts safety at greater risk.
In addition the US risks being relegated to third place behind Russia and China.
China plans to build a lunar base. By 2011 China will have started a programme of exploration focusing on Mars. The Chinese intend in the long term to launch manned space probes to Mars and Saturn.
Russia will resume unmanned lunar missions in 2009. A mission to Venus is planned for 2015. Russia plans to replace the ISS (International Space Station) with an all-Russian station in Earth orbit.This will be an assembly platform for probes to the Moon and Mars.
Unwise cuts by Obama will have grave implications for American security. Dominance in space is a sine qua non for global military superiority. The Chinese and Russians realise as much.
