Will Congress Save the Space Program?

September 12, 2009 (LPAC)—That is the question that will be posed at a hearing of the House Committee on Science and Technology, scheduled for Sept. 15. The purpose is to discuss the findings of the panel that reviewed NASA's human space flight programs, which was led by Norm Augustine. The panel has stated that there will be no exploration program without a $50 billion increase in NASA's budget, to develop the new technology. Since not much can be expected from this Administration, or the President's pro-genocide "science" advisor, the ball will be in Congress' court. The bipartisan effort last year to add $1 billion to NASA's budget never made it through either House of Congress.

Committee chairman Bart Gordon (D-TN) announced yesterday a change in witnesses for the hearing. Instead of NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden, former Administrator Mike Griffin will testify. Bolden would have been unable to say anything of import, since his job is to defend Administration policy, and there isn't any. And, as Rep. Gordon stated, Griffin will "tell you the truth." Earlier this week, Griffin wrote an angry letter to the Augustine panel, for presenting "options," rather than unconditionally backing the Constellation program, which NASA has had underway for the past four years. In fact, the booster rocket that would be used in the new Ares launch vehicle was successfully tested in Utah yesterday. Other options may theoretically exist, Griffin stated, but this program is already testing hardware.

The future of the space program hangs in the balance. At the present level of funding, the Moon/Mars exploration program is finished. Even the unmanned robotic precursor missions to the Moon and Mars cannot be carried out. While the rest of the world is enthusiastically moving in to space, the U.S. stands at the threshold of losing the preeminent manned space capability it has spent half a century developing.