This Week In Space - NASA Changes Direction SPECIAL REPORT, February 3, 2010 - Part 1

[ResistanceAlpha]

You guys are over reacting.

Obama was not the president for the past 30 years. It is not his fault NASA decided to do jack crap for 30 years when it came to the Moon. Now NASA wants to go back, guess what? Too late. Instead of wasting money on Mars we should have been on the Moon.

What have we discovered on Mars so far that could not have waited? We should have set base on the Moon first then Mars. And if China or any other country COULD go to the Moon they would have done it by now..

[ThinkDelinque]

We don't now have a situation that would cause something like a race (says Lori Garver)? Keep in mind that George Bush's Vision for Space Exploration was unveiled on January 14, 2004--only 3 months after China's first taikonaut (Yang Liwei) successfully orbited our planet 14 times. At least Bush had a vision, albeit a slow-paced one.

It seems the Obama administration has come up with a great way to spare NASA any worries about failing to meet its goals--don't make any!

[jamin69]

Oh well, I guess China gets the moon as well! We need the moon as a stepping stone to Mars.

[Craigthepope]

I thought the Dragon capsule would be human rated by 2012.

[hyhhy]

Thanks for the reporting work.

I think I can't judge this change in plans until I see if humans get farther than Low Earth Orbit in the 2020s or not. If humans are still just on LEO in 2030, I'll be disappointed.

[sirachman]

Go commercial! =)

[sirachman]

Go commercial! =)

[gaetanomarano]

. . sorry, but, NASA is DEAD killed by: . 1. the Ares-1/5 LOBBY that wanted to earn over $50 billion of US taxpayers money to (just) develop two (BAD designed and NOT working) rockets . 2. the Augustine Commission that has given to the US politics the ILLUSION that a "commercial space" exists and can replace the Shuttle and the Orion . 3. the global economy and financial crisis that forced all governments (and especially the US one) to cut all unnecessary expenses and programs . .

[ferkeap]

I think there has to be a real "everyone-IN" programm, from every continent (except antartic) to make beyond LEO projects.

It's to much for any country to make a shot that will be permanent.

A single shot is possible but useless for beyond-LEO.

And the ugly 60 of 100 no writing law a pain in the ...

[Chrisjr2007]

Time to go HD Miles ;) <3

[ugowar]

Time to do some proper deinterlacing, too!

[heroineworshipper]

NASA should be shut down or reduced in budget. $18 billion for random Earth science is ridiculous.

[sirachman]

How about NO!!

[basvg1]

Think about it: it's only 0,58 % of the total budget. That's just nothing. And of all the government parts, NASA is the most effective.

Some 10% of all inventions came from NASA! Without the research of NASA, we wouldn't have (or at least not now) safe airplanes, computers, mobile phones, etc etc etc.

[sirachman]

How about NO!!

[heroineworshipper]

Without a manned spaceflight program, it's not longer worth $18 billion. Without Buck Rogets, budgets will be reduced if not eliminated. The NIST, NIH, NIH, & NOAA already do its current functions as a pure science program. Constellation was its last chance to exist as a separate entity.

[redlamp]

I hate to give a 5 stars rating because it's sad news. However TWIS has been a great resource on news coverage of space and I really appreciate the work you guys are doing. Thanks!

[FerrisValyn]

This is not sad news. NASA desperately needs to be reorganized around making us spacefaring, and this is the only viable way to do that.