Monday, February 01, 2010

Commercial Spaceflight Group Hails Obama Space Plan

A commercial spaceflight advocacy group is hailing President Obama's proposed 2011 budget as a "win-win decision."

Here's a statement from Bretton Alexander, president of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation:

"NASA investment in the commercial spaceflight industry is a win-win decision: commercial crew will create thousands of high-tech jobs in the United States, especially in Florida, while reducing the spaceflight gap and preventing us from sending billions to Russia. This is on par with the early days of aviation and the U.S. Airmail Act, which spurred the growth of an entire new industry that now adds billions to the US economy every year," Alexander said.

"At a time when job creation is the top priority for our nation, a commercial crew program will create more jobs per dollar because it leverages millions in private investment and taps the potential of systems that serve both government and private customers. We have a tremendous opportunity here to jump-start private activity in low-Earth orbit that will further lower the cost of access to space and unleash the economic potential of space long promised," he said.

"Working with NASA, industry can develop the capabilities to safely launch U.S. astronauts just as commercial spaceflight providers are already trusted by the U.S. government right now to launch multi-billion dollar military satellites, upon which the security of our Nation and lives of our troops overseas depend. Investing $6 billion will fund a full program of multiple winners for commercial crew, so that robust competition in the marketplace can reduce costs and generate innovation. We are excited to see such a significant commitment from the Obama Administration and NASA leadership for pursuing this important initiative for NASA and the nation."



26 comments:

Patrick said...

I'll bet they're excited...thats $6 BILLION in Capital they don't have to raise on their own.

Anonymous said...

What a bunch of you know what. Creating jobs should not be the top priority of this country. How about saving the jobs people already have? How many students are there currently studying to become involved in spaceflight in this county, now to lose credits as they need to find a new way to get hired? Obama is not looking out for anyone but himself, hoping to be re-elected instead of booted out completely.

Anonymous said...

what a bunch of bunk

Anonymous said...

I will totally LMAO if Falcon fails in ANY way when it goes off soon.

Anonymous said...

What are the names of these companies and how do we apply for a job with them? Do any of these unnamed companies even exist yet?

Anonymous said...

Competition should always be invited in industry...keep in mind the lowest bidder isn't always the safest bidder. Reducing the gap is key...why kill what works so well when nothing has been approved for manned flight? Our shuttle fleet is aging, but works quite well when all the stops, put in place, are adhered to.
Keep the competition high, this will ensure a quick substitite by the private sector. Our administration(I didn't ask for it)needs to squeeze some more life out of the fleet until that product is proven. The fuel on the moon is up for grabs, lets go get it!

Anonymous said...

Unless they get special exemptions, they will never develop a rocket that can launch astronauts to LEO or further. Too much risk and lawsuit liability. That's commercialism.

Anonymous said...

NASA = GLORIFIED SOCIAL WELFARE JOB PROGRAM

It's about time we got some real industry here in Brevard and the FREE LOADERS have to go to work!

Anonymous said...

Nobama has no clue about anything. Does he forget what NASA stands for? National Areonautics and SPACE Administration. Get this loon out of office and the next President will just reverse everything he is doing and restore NASA's budget. We need to go back to the Moon and beyond. Commercial business does not have the manpower nor the expertise to do that. He did nothing but put thousands on unemployment with this stupid idea of his. This is about as bright as his health care.

Anonymous said...

Just more talk and no action. Blah, blah, blah. Good luck, China! I hope you have more vision than we do.

tfgreviews said...

http://tfgreviews.blogspot.com/

Anonymous said...

Please, government should not save or create jobs. It should get out of the way and let private companies create jobs!!

Anonymous said...

Well, they better hope they have a successful launch or they are going to look real silly or so will Obama.

Spacecoast Genius said...

If Space travel produced value for Americans, commercial interests would be on it like Bush on a WMD map.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous at 2:47, I couldn't agree with you more. President Obama closing the space program will finally force people at the cape to get off their lazy butts and WORK for once!

Anonymous said...

So the commercial space flight people are going to take over and make money...of course it says right there in the article that they expect to "work with NASA", meaning they expect to get NASA expertise and government funding. The difference is that taxpayers' investment via NASA will go into individual company's pockets instead of toward a program that benefits all of us.

Fly This said...

Commercial space flight can die on the vine and their leaders can go back to parking cars or welfare for all I care.

Anonymous said...

Commercial flight can die on the vine and its leaders can returnh to parking cars or welfare.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 5:19, you watch too many movies and believe people who don't know the first thing about the space center. That is why they are on the OTHER SIDE OF THE GATE. Maybe if they tried harder they could of made something of themselves. Now you have to worry, because these better qualified KSC workers will be taking YOUR job next and bumping you down.

Anonymous said...

I have to say, there are plenty of workers out at KSC that are paid a very decent wage and they don't do anything. Nothing innovative has come out of the agency for quite some time. I have always liked the idea of more commercial involvement, but we shall see if it actually happens. Just because this has been proposed in the budget does not mean it will come to light. Some of you people do not understand how government works, and are freaking out over nothing. Congress is the power of the purse (basic government 101) If you're that upset write your Congresspeople and tell them not to approve the budget.

Anonymous said...

I sure am glad people who are outside the gate can believe that spacecraft build themselves and fly without any work involved. You Mr./Mrs.Roofer/Sanitation engineer should have furthered your education and improved yourself, then you could have said you did something for the good of humanity and had some positive outcome in the world. Oh wait my kids poopy diapers need to be disposed of, so I guess you are contributing.

Anonymous said...

A privately funded rocket suffered a launch failure Saturday night, the third launch failure in as many attempts for an Internet entrepreneur who is hoping to develop private space delivery and transportation. - wow, they are going to step right in and take over!

Anon 9:35 - So where do you find the info on the innovations that NASA produces??? Do you have a link? I have a feeling you really do not have a clue, but that's just a guess. Unfortunately for NASA, most of it's innovations are not bright shiny things they can give you....

Marv said...

NASA used to publish (I don't know if they still do) a book that was called SPINOFFS it highlited all of the commercial applications that came out of the space program. There were hundreds of things that were now used commercaly that got there start in the space program.
Anyone think that these "Commercial entites" will "spin off" anything they learn to pretty much anyone who could advance them? I doubt it.

Anonymous said...

We already have jobs at Kennedy Space Center, but not after Obama's new NASA budget / Jobs? creation Plan?......Thanks.

Savespace.us

public works environment said...

Public works environment works when job creation was the top priority for our nation, a commercial crew program will create more jobs per dollar because it leverages millions in private investment and taps the potential of systems that serve both government and private customers.

public works energy said...

A commercial crew program by the public works energy will create more jobs per dollar because it leverages millions in private investment and taps the potential of systems that serve both government and private customers.