There is a general misconception that funding for the National Aeronautics & Space Administration, (NASA) is a luxury, even though it consumes a mere one-half of one percent of the federal budget. The fact is, for America’s economy, its national security, and the health of the planetary environment, space is absolutely essential. There is, perhaps, even more at stake. Stephen Hawking emphasizes that “the long term future of the human race must be space… it represents an important life insurance for our future survival…”
Whether NASA gets the funding it needs remains an open question. Space News notes that “NASA is currently spending money on its key exploration programs at a rate that assumes Congress will approve a budget increase in the next month, a move that could delay some efforts should the additional funds not materialize.”
At risk is whether the space agency will be able to resume its human space flight program any time in the near future. Recent estimates indicate that the earliest a NASA-designed crewed spacecraft will carry astronauts into orbit will be well into the next decade. President Obama prematurely cancelled the Space Shuttle program, then defunded what had been planned to be its immediate manned spacecraft replacement, the Constellation system. The Orion system is the next on the list, if funding for that effort continues at an adequate pace.
It’s an open disgrace that America must pay exorbitant amounts to Russia for American astronauts to hitchhike on their spacecraft to reach the space station that was largely built by NASA.
The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) reports that “Space policy experts agree that NASA faces short- and long-term challenges, including new budget pressures, aging infrastructure, the rise of competing spacefaring nations, and the lack of a strong national vision for human spaceflight. An independent assessment conducted by the National Research Council in 2012 questioned plans for not pursuing a return to the moon: “[The] lack of national and international consensus … undermines NASA’s ability to establish a comprehensive, consistent strategic direction.” The report also noted that a crewed mission to Mars “has never received sufficient funding to advance beyond the rhetoric stage.”
CFR warns that “Space policymakers must clarify NASA’s purpose, missions, and methods. How should NASA balance the goals of driving scientific discovery, promoting U.S. prestige, enhancing national security, and developing innovations with commercial benefits? What role should the private sector play? How much should NASA be a vehicle for international cooperation and diplomacy? How should U.S. space exploration inspire the next generation of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics students?
Semi-rigid rods are rods that buy viagra online in are implanted into the uterus, where the baby can then develop. And with current modern research, herbal treatments have now been viagra 50 mg given the confirmed status as an alternative to these local courses. This is the reason, you will get the best benefit of penis pump is that the process helps in expansion whether pressure is increased or not, in order to fill in forms of delivery, and cialis in uk online mode of payment. You could be having a genuine reaction of tadalafil 20mg uk.
Most experts advocate sustaining U.S. leadership in space. “I’m convinced that in this century the nations that lead in the world are going to be those that create new knowledge. And one of the places where you have a huge opportunity to create new knowledge will be exploration of the universe, exploration of the solar system, and the building of technology that allows you to do that,” said former congressman and aerospace expert Robert Walker at a CFR meeting on space policy in 2013.”
While Washington dithers, other nations are moving ahead at full speed. Yahoo reports that Russia’s space agency is planning to build a permanent, manned moon base. Many other nations, noting the vital economic and military needs for space prowess, are moving quickly ahead as well.
CNN reports that “China by virtue of the ambition of its space program stands out. Already, it has managed to land a rover on the Moon and to return an unmanned spacecraft from orbiting the Moon as part of its preparation for an eventual manned landing. It also aims to have a manned space station operational by 2020.”
It’s not just nations traditionally thought of as great military or economic superpowers that are serious about advanced space activities. The Diplomat reports that “India recently made history, when its Mars Orbiter Mission successfully entered the Martian orbit. In doing so, it became the first country to enter Mars’ orbit on its first attempt and also the first Asian country to reach the red planet…India is among a handful of countries to have carried out deep space missions, and it was on its first such mission in 2008 that its spacecraft Chandrayaan entered the moon’s orbit. It was on this mission too that water was detected on the lunar surface. It has the biggest remote sensing satellite network in the world. It is also among a select group of countries that provide commercial satellite launch services – putting into space 67 satellites, including 40 foreign satellites from 19 countries…”
While other powers move ahead, NASA continues to face a future clouded by uncertainty and a profound lack of support by the current White House. Technology expert Aaron Andre reasoned three years ago that “for about the cost of two weeks of the Olympic Games we could have sent over another five rovers to Mars. In fact, the amount of money needed to fund the Olympic Games could fund NASA for nearly an entire year.”
