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NASA’s Budget and Earth’s Survival

If financial arguments prove unconvincing to NASA’s detractors, perhaps saving the planet from destruction may be a more powerful persuader.

NASA’s budget is relatively sparse, at less than one-half of one percent of federal spending.  It is, however, continuously attacked by those who believe its funds should be used elsewhere. The Obama Administration, for example, which devastated the manned space program, diverted NASA spending to activities intended to prop up its climate change agenda.

The criticism ignores the massive return on space investment.  One study notes that “For less than half a percent of the federal budget, NASA is immersed in some of the greatest challenges in science and technology, learning from the past and planning decades into the future… NASA [has a] critical role in the national economy, creating employment, developing cutting-edge technology, supporting business growth, advancing space-related industries, promoting partnership among nations, expanding the scientific knowledge base…” A Balance analysis found that every dollar spent on the space agency adds $10 to the national economy.

To those unmoved by fiscal matters, survival of the species should prove a more effective substantial logic.

It has long been understood that Earth remains vulnerable to impacts from space capable of eliminating most planetary life. National Geographic has described the collision that killed off the dinosaurs: “… an asteroid slams into Earth with an explosive yield estimated at over 100 trillion tons of TNT. The impact penetrates Earth’s crust to a depth of several miles, gouging a crater more than 115 miles (185 kilometers) across and vaporizing thousands of cubic miles of rock. The event sets off a chain of global catastrophes that wipe out 80 percent of life on Earth—including most of the dinosaurs.”

To prevent a future catastrophe from rendering a similar fate to humanity, NASA is building procedures to defend the planet.

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The space agency’s JPL lab describes the task, and some of the steps being taken to respond to the very real danger:


“The Earth has been getting hit by asteroids and comets for its whole life.  The Spaceguard Survey is an attempt to locate and track as many near-Earth objects (NEOs) as possible…To lead to a global catastrophe, an asteroid or comet only has to be big enough to launch large amounts of dust in to the atmosphere. That leads to the abrupt change in climate that wipes out species.”

Previously, JPL reported that a working group estimated that there are some 2,100 such asteroids larger than 1 kilometer. An impact by an asteroid larger than 1-2 kilometers could degrade the global climate, leading to widespread crop failure and loss of life. A still larger impact by an object larger than about 5 kilometers is damaging enough to cause mass extinctions. There are many comets in the 1-10 kilometer class, 15 of them in short-period orbits that pass inside the Earth’s orbit, and an unknown number of long-period comets. NASA believes that “Virtually any short-period comet among the 100 or so not currently coming near the Earth could become dangerous after a close passage by Jupiter.”

This week, the space agency is engaging in a table-top exercise on how to response to a potential killer-asteroid strike.“These exercises have really helped us in the planetary defense community to understand what our colleagues on the disaster management side need to know,” said Lindley Johnson, NASA’s Planetary Defense Officer. ‘This exercise will help us develop more effective communications with each other and with our governments.’ This type of exercise is also specifically identified as part of the National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy and Action Plan developed over a two-year period and published by the White House in June 2018.”

Long the subject of science fiction films and novels, NASA is developing plans on how to deflect planet-killer asteroids towards a path that leaves Earth untouched.

Illustration: NASA-JPL

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NASA’s Budget Boost Signals Return to Moon

On Monday, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine commented on NASA’s 2020 budget: 

“President Trump’s fiscal year 2020 NASA budget is one of the strongest on record for our storied agency. At $21 billion, this budget represents a nearly 6 percent increase over last year’s request and comes at a time of constrained resources across the federal government. It also is a huge vote of confidence for all of the agency’s hard work and dedication.

“We will go to the Moon in the next decade with innovative, new technologies and systems to explore more locations across the lunar surface than ever before. This time, when we go to the Moon, we will stay. We will use what we learn as we move forward to the Moon to take the next giant leap – sending astronauts to Mars.

“This budget will build on our successes in low-Earth orbit to create a sustainable exploration campaign that combines NASA’s expertise with that of our commercial and international partners’. We will continue ushering in a new era of human spaceflight as we launch American astronauts on American rockets from American soil for the first time since 2011. The Space Launch System, Orion spacecraft, and Gateway will continue to be our backbone for deep space exploration. 

“Beginning with a series of small commercial delivery missions to the Moon as early as this year, we will use new landers, robots and eventually humans by 2028 to conduct science across the entire lunar surface.

“With this budget, NASA’s critical work studying our home planet and the Sun will benefit humankind for generations. We will reveal the unknown with missions to Jupiter’s moon Europa and the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope. We will continue planning and developing the first round-trip mission to the Red Planet with Mars Sample Return. 

“This budget also continues support for transformative aeronautics technology research. We will make air travel safer, greener and more efficient, and continue pioneering the next generation of supersonic flight.

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“As we approach the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11 this July, we are moving forward to the Moon and on to Mars, and we want the world to come with us. 

“NASA is everywhere, and we are impacting people’s lives across the globe. As we celebrate the past, let’s inspire our friends and family for the future that we are building.”

For many Americans, the most interesting part of Bridenstine’s comments concerned NASA’s plans to place humans on Mars.

According to the space agency, “Space Policy Directive-1 provides the direction for NASA to organize more effectively government, commercial and international efforts to develop a permanent presence off Earth that generates new markets and opportunities, both scientific and economic. We are going quickly and sustainably with a reusable architecture. We are going with commercial and international partners to explore faster and explore more together. We will bring new knowledge and opportunities. We will use the resources of the Moon to enable farther exploration. We will prove out the technologies that will take us to Mars and beyond. NASA is building a spacecraft to take astronauts to deep space that will usher in a new era of space exploration.”

The spacecraft NASA will used is known as Orion.It is built to take humans farther than they’ve ever gone before. Orion will serve as the exploration vehicle that will carry the crew to space, provide emergency abort capability, sustain the crew during the space travel, and provide safe re-entry from deep space return velocities. Orion will launch on NASA’s new heavy-lift rocket, the Space Launch System

“NASA will launch Orion on the agency’s powerful rocket, the Space Launch System, from a modernized spaceport at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. On the first integrated mission, known as Exploration Mission-1, an uncrewed Orion will venture thousands of miles beyond the Moon over the course of about three weeks.”

Orion will be launched using the new Space Launch System (SLS), described as one that will be “the most powerful rocket ever built. When completed, SLS will enable astronauts to begin their journey to explore destinations far into the solar system.

“NASA’s Space Launch System is an advanced launch vehicle that provides the foundation for human exploration beyond Earth’s orbit. With its unprecedented power and capabilities, SLS is the only rocket that can send Orion, astronauts and large cargo to the Moon on a single mission. Offering more payload mass, volume capability and energy to speed missions through space than any current launch vehicle, SLS is designed to be flexible and evolvable and will open new possibilities for payloads, including robotic scientific missions to places like the Moon, Mars, Saturn and Jupiter.”

Illustration: NASA

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Moon Landing Changed Human History

Today marks 4 9 years, almost half a century, since Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, aboard the “Eagle” Lunar Excursion Module, became the first humans to set foot on another world.  Mike Collins orbited overhead in the “Columbia” Command Module.  Upon touching down on the lunar surface, they reported “Houston, Tranquility Base here.  The Eagle has landed.” Later, as Neil Armstrong set foot on the surface, he stated “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”

On television, at least one famous news anchor wiped away tears of pride.  Across the planet, people crowded around televisions, news screens in public places such as Times Square, and other informational sites.  There was no internet, of course, back then. Many music radio stations continuously played moon-themed music.

The Astronauts left a plaque that read “We Came in Peace for All Mankind.”  And, indeed, for just a very brief period of time, and despite the competition for space supremacy between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. much of humanity saw itself as a singular entity, a species evolving into something more.

Earlier this century, Air and Space noted that “it signaled a climactic instance in human history…The flight of Apollo 11 met with an ecstatic reaction around the globe, as everyone shared in the success of the astronauts. The front pages of newspapers everywhere suggested how strong the enthusiasm was. NASA estimated that because of nearly worldwide radio and television coverage, more than half the population of the planet was aware of the events of Apollo 11. Although the Soviet Union tried to jam Voice of America radio broadcasts most living there and in other countries learned about the adventure and followed it carefully. Police reports noted that streets in many cities were eerily quiet during the Moon walk as residents watched television coverage in homes, bars, and other public places. Official congratulations poured in to the U.S. president from other heads of state, even as informal ones went to NASA and the astronauts. All nations having regular diplomatic relations with the United States sent their best wishes in recognition of the success of the mission…Those without diplomatic relations with the U.S., such as the People’s Republic of China, made no formal statement on the Apollo 11 flight to the U.S., and the mission was reported only sporadically by its news media because Mao Zedong refused to publicize successes by Cold War rivals.”

In the years since then, America, despite the extraordinary success of efforts such as the space shuttle program and the construction of the international space station, has had a far less ambitious manned space program.  Barack Obama did everything possible to eliminate NASA’s ability to place astronauts in space, and during his tenure the United States endured the humiliation of depending on Russian craft to place personnel aboard the space station that America had largely constructed. However, that situation is undergoing a sharp reversal, as President Trump has enthusiastically supported NASA’s manned space efforts, and its goal of returning to the Moon and then on towards Mars.

The cause may be of any; this tadalafil pharmacy is called viagra. However, discount bulk viagra women who are on blood pressure or cholesterol medications can not use this type of treatment. The skyrocketing rate of teen pregnancy has nothing to do with the option of global delivery. online prescription viagra tadalafil overnight shipping Look for Comfortable Way to Start the Conversation There are numerous ways for starting the conversation. His position has opponents, who believe that NASA’s minuscule budget—it’s considerably under one percent, just about 0.4% of all federal spending, should be spent elsewhere.  It’s an irrational perspective, since the space agency’s accomplishments actually result in a significant net gain for the U.S. economy.

A Space Foundation report in 2007 found that NASA activities resulted in a net gain of about $180 billion to the national economy, a startlingly large return for a budget that is currently about $19 billion. In 2007, then-NASA Administrator Michael Griffin stated:

“NASA opens new frontiers and creates new opportunities, and because of that [NASA] is a critical driver of innovation. We don’t just create new jobs, we create entirely new markets and possibilities for economic growth that didn’t previously exist. This is the emerging space economy, an economy that is transforming our lives here on Earth in ways that are not yet fully understood or appreciated. It is not an economy in space — not yet. But space activities create products and markets that provide benefits right here on Earth, benefits that have arisen from our efforts to explore, understand, and utilize this new medium… We see the transformative effects of the space economy all around us through numerous technologies and life-saving capabilities. We see the space economy in the lives saved when advanced breast cancer screening catches tumors in time for treatment, or when a heart defibrillator restores the proper rhythm of a patient’s heart. We see it when GPS, the Global Positioning System developed by the Air Force for military applications, helps guide a traveler to his or her destination. We see it when weather satellites warn us of coming hurricanes, or when satellites provide information critical to understanding our environment and the effects of climate change. We see it when we use an ATM or pay for gas at the pump with an immediate electronic response via satellite. Technologies developed for exploring space are being used to increase crop yields and to search for good fishing regions at sea.”

The late, brilliant Stephen Hawking believed that “Sending humans to the moon changed the future of the human race in ways that we don’t yet understand.” He stated, notes the British newspaper The Independent  “I believe that the long term future of the human race must be space and that it represents an important life insurance for our future survival, as it could prevent the disappearance of humanity by colonising other planets.”

Photo: Armstrong on the Moon.  (NASA)

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Trump Seeks to Restore U.S. Leadership in Space, Part 3

The New York Analysis of Policy and Government concludes its examination of the significant changes the Trump Administration is bringing to America’s role in space. In this final segment, we quote directly from the President. 

In his June Infrastructure and Technology statement, President Trump noted:

“…when it comes to space, too often, for too many years, our dreams of exploration and discovery were really squandered by politics and bureaucracy, and we knocked that out.  So important for our psyche, what’s you’re doing.  It’s going to be important monetarily and militarily.  But so important for right up here — the psyche.  We don’t want China and Russia and other countries leading us.  We’ve always led — we’ve gone way far afield for decades now, having to do with our subject today.  We’re going to be the leader by far.  We’re behind you a thousand percent. America’s vital interest in space lost out to special interests in Washington…But all of that is changing…

“My administration is reclaiming America’s heritage as the world’s greatest space-faring nation.  The essence of the American character is to explore new horizons and to tame new frontiers.  But our destiny, beyond the Earth, is not only a matter of national identity, but a matter of national security.  So important for our military…When it comes to defending America, it is not enough to merely have an American presence in space.  We must have American dominance in space…One year ago, I revived the National Space Council and put exactly the right man in charge, and that’s our friend, Mike Pence.  He feels very strongly about this.  And in December, I signed a historic directive that will return Americans to the moon for the first time since 1972…Always remembering it’s about that, but it’s also about jobs and the economy…This time, we will do more than plant our flag and leave our footprints.  We will establish a long-term presence, expand our economy, and build the foundation for the eventual mission to Mars — which is actually going to happen very quickly.

“I am instructing my administration to embrace the budding commercial space industry.  We are modernizing out-of-date space regulations.  They’re way out of date.  They haven’t been changed in many, many years.  And today we’re taking one more step to unleash the power of American ingenuity.  In a few moments, I will sign a new directive to federal departments and agencies.  They will work together with American industry to implement a state-of-the-art framework for space traffic management.  But don’t let it get too out of control, please.  We know about what’s going on with a lot of other rules and regulations.
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“Two previous administrations tried and failed to develop a system to deal with congested conditions in orbit.  We are finally going to get it done.  It’s going to happen fast.  One year from now, our nation will mark an important milestone in human history: half a century since Americans first stepped off the Eagle and onto the moon…

“…we are ready to begin the next great chapter of American space exploration.  This is a very important day.  This is a very important gathering.  A new generation of young people seeks to challenge — really challenge hard — to get their talent and their skill to work.  And now we’re giving them a forum and a platform from which they can put that genius to work. Legions of welders and metalworkers, scientists and engineers stand ready to build a powerful new rocket and gleaming new spaceships.  And that goes with all of the other things that we’re building in our country.

“Our nation of pioneers still yearns to conquer the unknown, because we are Americans and the future belongs totally to us.  Once more, we will launch intrepid souls blazing through the sky and soaring into the heavens.  Once more, we will summon the American spirit to tame the next great American frontier.  And once more, we will proudly lead humanity — and that’s what it is, it’s humanity — beyond the Earth and into those forbidden skies, but they will not be forbidden for long.”

Photo:  President Donald J. Trump is joined by Vice President Mike Pence; Scott Pace, Executive Secretary of the National Space Council; and Jared Stout, Deputy Executive Secretary and Chief of Staff of the National Space Council, as President Trump shows his signature after signing the Space Policy Directive-2 to streamline regulations on commercial use of Space, Thursday, May 24, 2018, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, D.C. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)

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Trump Seeks to Restore U.S. Leadership in Space, Part 2

The New York Analysis of Policy and Government continues its examination of the changes President Trump is bringing to America’s role in space. 

In sharp contrast to Obama’s disdain for the U.S. space program,  President Trump, who mentioned the importance of space in his inaugural address, has followed President Jefferson’s example. In a White House speech, he noted that “”America will always be the first in space…”We don’t want China and Russia and other countries leading us. We’ve always led…My administration is reclaiming America’s heritage as the world’s greatest space-faring nation.”

Mr. Trump’s space emphasis extends to military, scientific and commercial space endeavors. He has ordered the Pentagon to create a new branch of the armed services devoted strictly to outer space. He has directed that the regulatory processes that have placed red-tape barriers to the commercialization of rocket launches and extraterrestrial exploration to be removed.  And he has reset NASA’s budget away from earth science and towards exploration.

On May 24, 2018, the President signed Space Policy Directive – 2 to reform United States commercial space regulatory framework, seeking to ensure our place as a leader in space commerce. On March 23, 2018, President Trump unveiled a National Space Strategy that laid out an approach to ensuring that the United States is strong and competitive in the space environment. On December 11, 2017, the President signed Space Policy Directive – 1, instructing NASA to return United States astronauts to the Moon, followed by human missions to Mars. On June 30 2017, President Trump signed an Executive Order reviving the National Space Council for the first time in 24 years.

The importance of space technology cannot be overemphasized.  Indeed, the future existence of humanity may well depend upon it. In June, the White House unveiled the “National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy and Action Plan.” 

“The National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy and Action Plan (Strategy and Action Plan) will improve our Nation’s preparedness to address the hazard of near-Earth object (NEO) impacts over the next 10 years. Its primary role is to help organize and coordinate NEO-related efforts within Federal Departments and Agencies,with a particular focus on efforts that are already existing and resourced. It seeks to leverage and enhance existing assets and capabilities—National and international, public and private—to effectively manage the risks associated with NEOs. The Strategy and Action Plan builds on efforts by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Department of Energy (DOE) to detect and characterize the NEO population and to prevent and respond to NEO impacts on Earth.

“Five strategic goals, each supported by a set of strategic objectives and specific associated actions, underpin the effort to enhance the Nation’s preparedness for potential NEO impacts:
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Goal 1: Enhance NEO Detection, Tracking, and Characterization Capabilities: NASA will lead the development of a roadmap for improving national capabilities for NEO detection, tracking, and characterization. Supporting actions will reduce current levels of uncertainty and aid in more accurate modeling and more effective decision-making.

Goal 2: Improve NEO Modeling, Prediction, and Information Integration: Agencies will coordinate the development of validated modeling tools and simulation capabilities that aid in characterizing and mitigating NEO impact risks while streamlining data flows to support effective decision-making.

Goal 3: Develop Technologies for NEO Deflection and Disruption Missions: NASA will lead development of technologies for fast-response NEO reconnaissance missions and timely missions to deflect or disrupt hazardous NEOs. Developing these technologies before an imminent threat arises will strengthen our ability to prevent NEO impact disasters.

Goal 4: Increase International Cooperation on NEO Preparation: Agencies will work to inform and develop international support for addressing global NEO impact risks. International engagement and cooperation will help the Nation to prepare more effectively for a potential NEO impact.

Goal 5: Strengthen and Routinely Exercise NEO Impact Emergency Procedures and Action Protocols: The United States will strengthen and exercise procedures and protocols for assessing NEO threats, communication regarding threats, and response and recovery activities. Coordinated communications and notifications within the U.S. Government and with foreign governments will improve impact emergency preparedness and reduce the physical and economic harm to the Nation.”

The Report Concludes Tomorrow.

Illustration: NASA photo of an asteroid.

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Trump Seeks to Restore U.S. Leadership in Space

In the early days of the American republic, U.S. leaders chose to look towards the future, despite the many immediate challenges they faced. Despite the perilous financial position the nation faced, President Thomas Jefferson chose to purchase the vast Louisiana territory from France. As History.com notes, “westward expansion was the key to the nation’s health.”  The Author of the Declaration of Independence didn’t stop there. The U.S. National Archives explains:   “After the Louisiana Purchase Treaty was made, Jefferson initiated an exploration of the newly purchased land and the territory beyond the “great rock mountains” in the West. He chose Meriwether Lewis to lead an expedition, who in turn solicited the help of William Clark. Together they formed a diverse military Corps of Discovery that would undertake a two-year journey to the great ocean.”

America faces a similar choice in the 21st Century.  Two successive presidents have made starkly different choices.  Obama chose the course not taken by President Jefferson: He basically declined to move vigorously ahead in opening up the nations next great frontier, space.    It was not only manned space flight that had been slashed by the Obama White House.  The Planetary Society wrote during the former president’s term “The [Obama] Administration’s [space]budget would force NASA to walk away from planned missions to Mars, delay flagship missions to the outer planets for decades, and gradually slow the pace of scientific discovery… the United States will walk away from decades of greatness in space science and exploration.  More than that, the U.S. will lose expertise, capability and talent…we’ll quickly stop producing scientists, technicians, and engineers that can lead.”

President Obama’s last NASA budget did little to change the disappointing fact that America’s returned to crewed space flight in a NASA vehicle won’t take place  until 2023. In fact, his final space funding proposal represented a 1.3%, $300 million reduction from the prior year. There was much controversy in Obama’s diversion of funding within the space agency from its traditional mission of manned space flight, while dramatically, to the tune of $2 billion, increasing Earth Science research by 70% over the years, mostly to advance Mr. Obama’s climate change agenda.

In discussing Obama’s final NASA budget, House space subcommittee chair Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.) noted: “It is no secret that this Committee is concerned that the support within NASA for the [Space Launch System] and Orion (a manned spacecraft) is not matched by the Administration. While this lack of commitment is somewhat puzzling, it is not at all surprising. [President Obama] has made clear that he does not believe space exploration is a priority for the nation and has allowed political appointees within the administration to manipulate the course of our human space flight program. These decisions should be made by the scientists, engineers, and program managers that have decades of experience in human space flight…The Administration has consistently requested large reductions for these programs despite the insistence of Congress that they be priorities.”
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Mark Whittington, writing for The Hill  states:

“To understand the task that the president and whomever he chooses as NASA administrator have before them, it is useful to look back on how profoundly and adroitly President Barack Obama crippled the space agency’s efforts to send astronauts beyond low Earth orbit…Congress, which had not been consulted, reacted with bipartisan fury. The Obama administration made two critical errors. It had not consulted with Congress or anyone else when it developed its plans…Nowhere in the Obama plan was there a commitment to send astronauts anywhere. Clearly, the White House had no intention of doing space exploration. President Obama had expressed an antipathy to American exceptionalism, and nothing speaks to that quality than American astronauts exploring other worlds.”

The Report Continues Tomorrow

Photo: Apollo 11, first Manned Landing on the Moon, takes off (NASA)

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NASA Manned Spaceflight Endangered

The President’s proposed 2017 budget does little to change the disappointing fact that America’s returned to crewed space flight in a NASA vehicle won’t take place  until 2023.  In contrast, private companies are moving steadily ahead to finally restore a means to launch astronauts from U.S. soil.

The President’s $19,025,000,000 2017 NASA budget proposal represents a 1.3%, $300 million reduction from the prior year.

There is much controversy in the continuing diversion of funding within the space agency from its traditional mission of manned space flight while dramatically, to the tune of $2 billion, increasing Earth Science research by 70% over the years, mostly to advance Mr. Obama’s climate change agenda.

Of the total funds requested for NASA, less than half, $8,413,000,000, is designated for human space flight. Within the proposed NASA general science funding request for $5,601,000,000, the lion’s share is designated for Earth Science, $2,032,000,000, an increase of 5.8%, $111 million over the FY 2016 enacted budget.

House space subcommittee chair Steven Palazzo (R-Miss.) previously noted:

“It is no secret that this Committee is concerned that the support within NASA for the [Space Launch System] and Orion (a manned spacecraft) is not matched by the Administration. While this lack of commitment is somewhat puzzling, it is not at all surprising. The President has made clear that he does not believe space exploration is a priority for the nation and has allowed political appointees within the administration to manipulate the course of our human space flight program. These decisions should be made by the scientists, engineers, and program managers that have decades of experience in human space flight…The Administration has consistently requested large reductions for these programs despite the insistence of Congress that they be priorities.”

The New York Analysis of Policy & Government noted in December that “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 the current pace.”

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NASA’s Spaceflight.com states that “NASA officials have admitted the interim Upper Stage for the Space Launch System is at the top of their ‘worry list’, as the Agency’s key advisory group insists NASA should make a decision about bringing the more powerful Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) online sooner. The Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel (ASAP) fears NASA is at risk of wasting $150 million on an Upper Stage they intend to ‘toss away’.

NASA sources note that this has been presenting the space agency with a headache for some time, although it took the recent ASAP meeting to finally confirm those concerns to the public.

“The next big event is test flight Exploration Mission (EM)-1, on track for 2018 – a 24-day, unscrewed cis-lunar voyage that will inject a lot of energy into the Program. The following flight, EM-2 that will have a crew, brings up an issue that deserves attention,” noted the minutes from the meeting.

“Presently, the Program does not have the upper stage that it needs because of lack of funding. A new upper stage, called the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS), will be developed for future crewed flights.

“As a fall back, NASA is planning to use the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion System (ICPS) that will get the job done through the test flight, but it is not what NASA will be using eventually.”

A NASA committee was told it will cost “at least $150 million” to human-rate the ICPS, something the panel believe “will be wasted because this design will be ‘tossed’ in the near future.

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America’s future is being defunded

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?
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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.”