sharon sanders
Editor-in-Chief & President
This reminds me of the recent dilemma of only a few influenza vaccine producers in the world. What will be the supply chain problems, i.e. telecommunication satellite placement or access to the moon, when profit motivates innovation in space?
February 2, 2010
Canceled Moon Shot Pays for NASA Science Boost
by Yudhijit Bhattacharjee
By canceling NASA?s moon mission, launched by former President George W. Bush in 2004, the White House pays heed to a report delivered last fall by the Norm Augustine commission, which declared that the goal of returning American astronauts to the moon by 2020 was unviable without a major boost to NASA?s budget. Instead, the White House has proposed eliminating the Constellation program, a $3.5-billion-a-year initiative aimed at building rockets, spacecraft, and other systems for the moon mission.
Although the moon mission would be zeroed out under the Administration?s proposal, NASA?s overall budget would increase by $6 billion over the next 5 years. It would go from $18.7 billion in 2010 to $19 billion in 2011.
NASA officials argue that Constellation?s end marks a major change in the nation?s space policy that could in fact accelerate space exploration by freeing up money for science and the funding of new technologies for future space flight, which would be led by the private sector instead of the government. NASA officials say they will leverage corporate investments and international collaborations to chart a new course in space exploration. That includes putting up money to extend the life of the international space station beyond the current end date of 2015 to at least 2020.
more.....
http://blogs.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2010/02/canceled-moon-s.html
February 2, 2010
Canceled Moon Shot Pays for NASA Science Boost
by Yudhijit Bhattacharjee
By canceling NASA?s moon mission, launched by former President George W. Bush in 2004, the White House pays heed to a report delivered last fall by the Norm Augustine commission, which declared that the goal of returning American astronauts to the moon by 2020 was unviable without a major boost to NASA?s budget. Instead, the White House has proposed eliminating the Constellation program, a $3.5-billion-a-year initiative aimed at building rockets, spacecraft, and other systems for the moon mission.
Although the moon mission would be zeroed out under the Administration?s proposal, NASA?s overall budget would increase by $6 billion over the next 5 years. It would go from $18.7 billion in 2010 to $19 billion in 2011.
NASA officials argue that Constellation?s end marks a major change in the nation?s space policy that could in fact accelerate space exploration by freeing up money for science and the funding of new technologies for future space flight, which would be led by the private sector instead of the government. NASA officials say they will leverage corporate investments and international collaborations to chart a new course in space exploration. That includes putting up money to extend the life of the international space station beyond the current end date of 2015 to at least 2020.
more.....
http://blogs.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2010/02/canceled-moon-s.html