Comments on: Rebuilding the American space program — the right way

By: Presley Cannady

Presley Cannady — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 22:10:00 +0000

I have to ask. If it’s going to take decades for a government agency to put men on any place in the solar system worth prospecting, why bother with a space program at all? Just let the private sector handle it.

By: Kelly Starks

Kelly Starks — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 23:07:34 +0000

> .. The reason the good part of his plan (commercial space) is not passing Congress is not
> because people think it is a bad idea…

To be fair to congress (I feel so dirty saying that) many really do think its a colossally bad idea, is not a backhanded way to eliminate the US space program and NASA. There are good historic adn logical reasons to think this.

What surprizes me more – is they care enough to take a stand on it?

By: Joe

Joe — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 23:33:17 +0000

The shuttle could conceivably be extended to fill the gap by the continuing resolution clause currently in effect. If the NASA budget is not signed by Congress, then NASA gets funded at the previous year’s funding for previous year’s programs, i.e., shuttle and some Constellation.

Before striking this down again as you did in your post, imagine this happening for some time until a shuttle is lost. Who is to blame for the political decision to extend the shuttle? No one, because no one could agree on what to spend on future NASA funding.

The other interesting thing to consider is if Congress agrees to extend the shuttle at the detriment of Constellation and the gap goes away and a shuttle is eventually lost, then who is to blame for the political decision to extend the shuttle? The ones who voted to extend the shuttle.

Interesting dilemma?