|
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 18,345 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
|
OP
Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 18,345 Likes: 1 |
Armstrong, Lovell, Cernan: Rebuke Obama on Space Program Former astronaut Neil Armstrong has issued a strongly worded rebuke of President Barack Obama, criticizing the president for proposed revisions to the U.S.' space program.
Armstrong, along with astronauts James Lovell and Eugene Cernan, called the proposal �devastating� in a letter obtained by NBC News. Read below for the full text:
"The United States entered into the challenge of space exploration under President Eisenhower�s first term, however, it was the Soviet Union who excelled in those early years," the letter begins."Under the bold vision of Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, and with the overwhelming approval of the American people, we rapidly closed the gap in the final third of the 20th century, and became the world leader in space exploration. ...
"When President Obama recently released his budget for NASA, he proposed a slight increase in total funding, substantial research and technology development, an extension of the International Space Station operation until 2020, long range planning for a new but undefined heavy lift rocket and significant funding for the development of commercial access to low earth orbit.
"Although some of these proposals have merit, the accompanying decision to cancel the Constellation program, its Ares 1 and Ares V rockets, and the Orion spacecraft, is devastating.
"America�s only path to low Earth orbit and the International Space Station will now be subject to an agreement with Russia to purchase space on their Soyuz (at a price of over 50 million dollars per seat with significant increases expected in the near future) until we have the capacity to provide transportation for ourselves. The availability of a commercial transport to orbit as envisioned in the President�s proposal cannot be predicted with any certainty, but is likely to take substantially longer and be more expensive than we would hope.
"It appears that we will have wasted our current ten plus billion dollar investment in Constellation and, equally importantly, we will have lost the many years required to recreate the equivalent of what we will have discarded.
For The United States, the leading space faring nation for nearly half a century, to be without carriage to low Earth orbit and with no human exploration capability to go beyond Earth orbit for an indeterminate time into the future, destines our nation to become one of second or even third rate stature. While the President's plan envisages humans traveling away from Earth and perhaps toward Mars at some time in the future, the lack of developed rockets and spacecraft will assure that ability will not be available for many years.
Without the skill and experience that actual spacecraft operation provides, the USA is far too likely to be on a long downhill slide to mediocrity. America must decide if it wishes to remain a leader in space. If it does, we should institute a program which will give us the very best chance of achieving that goal.
Neil Armstrong
Commander, Apollo 11
James Lovell
Commander, Apollo 13
Eugene Cernan
Commander, Apollo 17
Carpe' Scrotum
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 4,866
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 4,866 |
We can't be budgeting money towards science, exploration, and discovery - the advancement of mankind. We've got half a nation of freeloaders to support, don't ya know? What ever would happen to them?
Only thing that makes my annual tax bill hurt more than it does, is reflecting on what that money is, and is not, used for.
Golldammed motion detector lights. A guy can’t even piss off his porch in peace any more.
"Look, I want to help the helpless. It's the clueless I don't give a [bleep] about." - Dennis Miller on obamacare.
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 18,345 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
|
OP
Campfire Ranger
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 18,345 Likes: 1 |
Yeah, hard to support a leadership role in space when only 52% pay income taxes. Much cheaper to genuflect and beg seats from the Russians.
In-[bleep]-credable. The complete arc of the space program in my lifetime.
Carpe' Scrotum
|
|
|
|
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 67,762 Likes: 5
Campfire Kahuna
|
Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 67,762 Likes: 5 |
I love living damn near hand to mouth, so person's of color, drug users, illegal immigrants and other free loaders can have government housing, WIC stamps,free food and medical care..............NOT!
Sam......
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 10,084
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 10,084 |
We can't be budgeting money towards science, exploration, and discovery - the advancement of mankind. We've got half a nation of freeloaders to support, don't ya know? What ever would happen to them?
Only thing that makes my annual tax bill hurt more than it does, is reflecting on what that money is, and is not, used for. OK you already said it so all I can say is.... Yea... What he said
That which does not kill us makes us stronger
Friedrich Nietzsche
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 10,449
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 10,449 |
"Without the skill and experience that actual spacecraft operation provides, the USA is far too likely to be on a long downhill slide to mediocrity." Which is exactly the change his eminence envisioned. Hope and change. Just hope you can survive the change.
"Civilized men are more discourteous than savages because they know they can be impolite without having their skulls split, as a general thing." Robert E. Howard
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,385
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 1,385 |
Like many of you I grew up watching the space program grow on TV in school classes. (In those days school was about educating, but I digress) Worth every penny of it. IMHO
This is a sad day, a very sad day.
Fighting words for 2010: Vote against the incumbents, none of them, either side, have done the job!
Save the Earth...its the only planet with chocolate!
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 22,274
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 22,274 |
I recall one theory that the Apollo program, and the need to reduce the size, and increase the power of computers, is what seeded the past 30-40 years' revolution in microprocessors, computer, and software technology. Maybe the computer/software experts can confirm. Killing the program hurts the chances of us leading newly advanced technologies, in materials, energy, and communications. Not good for our future
"...the designer of the .270 Ingwe cartridge!..."
|
|
|
|
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 52,680
Campfire Kahuna
|
Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 52,680 |
LRF you obviously don't know our delegation. But I agree with yuou that most other states need a general house cleaning.
Liberalism is a mental disorder that leads to social disease.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,421
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,421 |
Just another move that won't help him get re-elected. Don't worry about it. Once he's gone change will happen.
"It's not the arrow, it's the Indian."
|
|
|
|
164 members (257_X_50, 10gaugemag, 29aholic, 1beaver_shooter, 1minute, 2500HD, 19 invisible),
1,719
guests, and
922
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
Forums81
Topics1,192,863
Posts18,497,196
Members73,979
|
Most Online11,491 Jul 7th, 2023
|
|
|
|