Bush Announces New Goals for NASA

[dmpotter]

Edit 2004/1/14:
Well, today was the day, and Bush followed through with the announcement (CNN story, White House press release, worthless NASA page). He's calling for a $1 billion increase to NASA's budget, as well as requesting NASA repurpose their existing budget towards manned missions, starting with manned misisons to the moon, and finally establishing a base on the moon. The moon base would be used as a launching point for a later manned mission to Mars.

The basic plan is an immediate increase in NASA's budget where NASA starts designing a replacement to the shuttle which would allow NASA to run more missions beyond low Earth orbit. The shuttle is only capable of reaching low Earth orbit and could not achieve a moon launch as it currently stands. The proposed replacement would allow returns to the moon. However, the shuttle fleet will remain active until 2010 in order to complete the Internation Space Station. Following 2010 they would have to be recertified for use, and would most likely instead be retired.

The following moon missions would establish a base on the moon that would later be used as the launch point for a manned mission to Mars.

This is a very bold plan for space exploration. I'd like to see it followed through, since space exploration usually drives some very interesting technology. I'm actually fairly optimistic about Bush following through with it, at least for the short term. It, of course, remains to be seen what will happen long term, since Bush must leave office after 2008, and this plan spans at least another two presidential terms.

(This is also posted at the end of the thread.)

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I've been hearing various rumbles about this for the past month or so -- rumors about Bush wanting to head back to the moon. (Mainly off a well known "reliable" news source.)

But now it seems that there may be some substance to the rumors after Fox News posted the article "Bush to Announce New Missions to Moon, Mars." It's also made it to the BBC and many others.

The basic timeline is to start by finishing the IIS and then scrapping the shuttle fleet. NASA will then concentrate on building a manned base on the moon before working towards a manned mission to Mars. The final plan is a manned mission to Mars by 2013 at the earliest.

Obviously, there are skeptics who believe this is nothing more than a bid at re-election. Others see this as a bold move towards furthering human science and reinvigorating NASA.

I, personally, am still skeptical about this. I don't really believe that this will be followed through - even if Bush does follow through, when he must give up his office in 2008, I doubt the next President will continue the project. Also, this is just speculation - rumors behind what the President will say next week. We'll have to wait and see what happens...

(And this I'm placing this in PACE because I'm not really talking about the science of a Mars mission, I'm talking about the politics of George Bush announcing a change in direction for NASA. If anyone wants to talk about the science behind Mars trips, please make a separate thread in the SAP forum.)

[chaos42]

I see the motivation for this renewed interest in the moon and later mars as a response to china's recent space initiative. We have lacked a real competitor in the "space race" since we began cooperating with russia on missions. There is no doubt that this will have political implications as well. I don't feel that the 2004 election is the main driving force behind this renewed initiative, though. Also, I would like to say that there are many polititians behind this from both sides of the aisle.

[StruckingFuggle]

If we need to build all that, and scrap the old shuttles to design and manufacture new ones, as well, wouldn't this be an economic boost?

Plus, going back into space again... cooool.

/me supports*

[Kana Li]

I agree it should be good for the space industire in total

[Calus]

[quote="StruckingFuggle";p="254418"]If we need to build all that, and scrap the old shuttles to design and manufacture new ones, as well, wouldn't this be an economic boost? [/quote]

Economic boost, BINGO. Spending by the goverment is almost always a good thing for the country.

But, it is about time we get back to getting are eggs out of this basket.

[Prospero]

As long as NASA and the furthering of space science and technology continues, I couldn't give a rat's ass who's in office. If I see more about this, he'll have my vote for sure.

[Fixer]

Politics, people... trying to get the 'Trekkie' vote. If he wins, this project will probably be delegated down until it falls off the mat.

It would be a REALLY good idea, but I doubt Bush would follow-through.

[Astyrian]

Exactly... Reelection politics at its most obvious.

Go back and check Bush's 2000 campaign promises with his follow-through. Not a good batting average at all. He cuddled the moderates through the election, and then dropped them as soon as he stole the election.

I'm all for renewed interest in space exploration, and the thought of manned missions to Mars really gets my blood pumping, but I don't expect Bush to hold up his end of the bargain.

[Imperator Severn]

Economic boost, BINGO. Spending by the goverment is almost always a good thing for the country.

[Pedric]

With the US gouverment spending billions of dollars in war against terror and homeland security, I'd rather expect Bush to drop manned space missions at all. The ISS remains crippled (limited to too few astronauts to maintain full operation) without the US escape vehicle (the thing that got cancelled), why not invest in it again? Why start yet another hyper expensive thing when already billions have been pumped into a yet unfinished space station project (that was originally supposed to be the gateway to flights beyond the earth-moon system). First finishing ISS, then an outpost on the moon, and finally a mission to Mars seems to me a more sensible order of things to do...

[Imperator Severn]

International Space Station...


Most everything up there is American or Russian. A couple other countries need to get with it.

[Pedric]

There may be mostly american and russian modules as of today, but the money and expertise came from 16 nations, so I'd call it international. The japanese and the european modules have entered the test labs last year, yet launches are pending until Nasa returns the space shuttle into operation.

[Fixer]

I think what Imperator Severn was trying to get across is that perhaps some of those other 15 nations (the ones other than the US) need to put a bit of THEIR resources into getting an escape vehicle ready as opposed to just expecting the USA to do everything and still call it Internetional. With everyone depending on the space shuttle, it is rather annoying to have people screaming at the USA to do something and not bothering to lend a hand to assist.

[Deacon]

[quote="Astyrian";p="254651"]He cuddled the moderates through the election, and then dropped them as soon as he stole the election.[/quote]
Oh, you're one of THOSE people.

[Bjarni Herjolfsson]

And in about ten yours, vacation resorts will be on the moon...