NASA plans to turn Kennedy Space Center into a 21st Century launch complex, but it appears President Obama put no money in the proposed 2011 budget for test flights aimed at developing a heavy-lift launch vehicle for missions beyond Earth orbit.In a series of budget summaries released today, the Obama Administration proposed to shut down shuttle fleet operations as planned later this year and cancel Project Constellation, a signature NASA program aimed at returning astronauts to the moon. In place there are ill-defined plans to pour money into the development of new technologies that might lead to a heavy-lift launch vehicle sometime in the future.
Click on these telling summaries here:
NASA Exploration
NASA Space Operations
Construction & Environmental Compliance
The people involved in NASA human space exploration at Kennedy Space Center are hanging onto hopes that the new direction from the Obama Administration might include developmental test flights that would lead to a new U.S. heavy-lift launch vehicle capability -- a Saturn V-class rocket that could take astronauts on missions beyond Earth orbit.
The proposed budget funds the development of "game-changing" technologies that might pay dividends at some undefined date in the future. But it fails to invest in the development of the type of proven rocket and spacecraft systems for human expeditions beyond Earth orbit.
Message from the Administrator
The remainder of the budget summaries are HERE
4 comments:
Sigh - to provide cover for killing the program that puts Americans in space, the Administration promised to pour additional money into nebulous science projects. Now the details come out and they are suggesting some vague projects that can easily be deleted later, under cover of budget negotiations.
I've got one hand in my pocket, the other's wavin' bye-bye to KSC. . .
Why is NASA, which currently compromises less than 8% of the total budget always the one they whittle away at?
Why is the Pentagon's massive $704B annual budget always increased?
Our defense budget is the largest in the world and our enemies ride camels and strategize in caves! I find it amazing & disgusting that we complain about funding federal projects which benefit mankind (nat'l health care, space exploration, & bettering education), but we don't raise an eyebrow or even debate spending more than almost all countries combined on missiles, bombs, attack drones, etc which kill people!
montreal here
i have stated so once before, and will do so again.
this is a victory for rhe tea party mouvement. all they wamt is for america to be number one in guns and selling wooden matches.
and so does the nra.
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