Obama Planning to Scrap Shuttle Replacement, Says NASA

[nivek]

President-elect's transition team planning to use decades-old military rockets instead, say insiders.


President-Elect Obama's transition team is planning to scrap NASA's Ares program, the successor to the Space Shuttle, say NASA advisors. The transition team is demanding deep cuts from the agency, and is investigating whether old military rockets such as the Delta IV and Atlas V could be used in place of Ares.

Yes we can
One big disappointment Obama will be if this actually happens

On the campaign trail, Obama blew both hot and cold on plans for NASA's budget. In the NASA-friendly states of Texas and Florida, he promised to expand NASA's budget by more than 10%. In other states, however, he promised cuts and delays to the agency, in order to help fund his education policies.

Sounds alot like Zuma, flip flopping according to what people want to hear, whatever it takes to win votes

 

[Syndyre]

What a stupid move.

 

[Lord Anubis]

So much for Mars and Moon bases in our lifetime! Tx Bush for killing the economy and our dreams ..damit!!

 

[Sneeky]

What sort of money is involved in these programs?
Judging by the state of the global economy I would be surprised if this type of expenditure by the US government would continue without some kind of 'adjustment'.

 

[marine1]

Obam bam is a politician plain and simple.

 

[JBFRobisher]

This is sad. One hopes things get back on track when the economic situation allows it.

 

[nivek]

This is sad. One hopes things get back on track when the economic situation allows it.

nah, when there are more funds available he'll probably just give them to welfare/education programs instead of nasa

 

[Sackboy]

I think the Russians showed them the shuttle wasn't essential and was expensive and dangerous to operate.

 

[krycor]

I think the Russians showed them the shuttle wasn't essential and was expensive and dangerous to operate.

uhm the other thing i think is that aside from sending up astronauts.. if you want to send a satellite up there, shuttling it up is more costly. Even repairs via capsule is cheaper.

 

[Sackboy]

uhm the other thing i think is that aside from sending up astronauts.. if you want to send a satellite up there, shuttling it up is more costly. Even repairs via capsule is cheaper.

The only thing the shuttle did do well was the big load capability. The Russians had one running on automatic pilot, but decided not to proceed in that direction.

 

[krycor]

Well have you seen the latest telecoms and other satellites? besides the folded wings/solar panels its about the size of a 17' - 19' crt monitor. Hubble.. ok i get that thats better shuttled up there. Incidentally do they decommission/take down old teleco satellites or do they just leave it up there with the rest of the accumulating junk that's trapped in seemingly perpetual orbit?

 

[noxibox]

nah, when there are more funds available he'll probably just give them to welfare/education programs instead of nasa

What is that madman thinking, spending money on education?

 

[Alan]

Yes we can
One big disappointment Obama will be if this actually happens

Seems there's a lot of disappointment going around among his supporters

Sounds alot like Zuma, flip flopping according to what people want to hear, whatever it takes to win votes

That's exactly what he is.

Flip flop 1

Hilary Clinton as Secretary of State after he claimed she had been "untruthful about her foreign policy resume". Plus she voted for the Iraq war

Flip flop 2

Joe Biden as Vice President a decades long Washington insider after promising to bring "change". Also voted for the Iraq war.

Flip flop 3

Robert Gates as Defense Secretary. Originally Bush appointed. Suddenly backtracking on his get out of Iraq ASAP mantra

Flip flop 4

and now for his inauguration the preacher he selected is Rick Warren who supported banning gay marriage in California

 

[Sackboy]

Well have you seen the latest telecoms and other satellites? besides the folded wings/solar panels its about the size of a 17' - 19' crt monitor. Hubble.. ok i get that thats better shuttled up there. Incidentally do they decommission/take down old teleco satellites or do they just leave it up there with the rest of the accumulating junk that's trapped in seemingly perpetual orbit?

Good point, everything is getting smaller.

The old unrepairable ones fall out of orbit and burn up in the atmosphere. Sometimes they become target drones for American missiles.

 

[nivek]

What is that madman thinking, spending money on education?

I know, it sounded insane typing it out, but they already spend so much on education and welfare, instead of letting people become more dependant on the state, spend it on space research, surprisingly enough programs like ares create jobs for tens of thousands of people???????

 

[daveza]

About 0.2% of GDP, ~$150Bn. http://www.richardb.us/nasa.html

Over 5 years that's 750 Billion dollars which could be poured into education, poverty alleviation, housing, health....

I'm sure the aliens can wait 5 years.

 

[noxibox]

I know, it sounded insane typing it out, but they already spend so much on education and welfare, instead of letting people become more dependant on the state, spend it on space research, surprisingly enough programs like ares create jobs for tens of thousands of people???????

Dependent on the state? Thanks, but I'll go for making sure that sufficient money is spent on education. Or I suppose they could forget about education and hire Indians and Koreans to build their space technology.

 

[Phenom]

Over 5 years that's 750 Billion dollars which could be poured into education, poverty alleviation, housing, health....

I'm sure the aliens can wait 5 years.

Xxuse me plz. That was a typing error, it's more like $15Bn (10 x less). Most of which would go right back to the US economy in anyways

 

[daveza]

Over 5 years that's 75 Billion dollars which could be poured into education, poverty alleviation, housing, health....

I'm sure the aliens can wait 5 years.

 

[bwana]

About 0.2% of GDP, ~$15Bn. http://www.richardb.us/nasa.html

not that much considering what all the research done and thus boarding the possibilities of the economy gives, above that, what space could be worth.

NASA gets closer to $20 billion but who knows what portion of that is being cut - certainly not all of it as he's only talking about curtailing spending on the shuttle replacement.