After a quiet and peaceful evening dinner where the two discussed the particulars of Zubrin’s then and now revolutionary concept for on-site resource utilization and imminent Mars settlement (a path which he predicted, in 1996, could conceivably be launched by 2006).

Gingrich is clearly correct that NASA has rested on the laurels of the Apollo program for some 40 years.

NASA must capitalize on what it has accomplished diplomatically in it’s collaborative exchange with the Russians in the design and raising of the ISS (which fortuitously inclines at 51 degrees) and must-indeed-see the present moment as a Kennedy differential exchange. “We must now go to Mars because it is hard.”

Potentially, Gingrich is only getting revved up. His understanding of the utterly desperate need for an open frontier to be opened through available technology and in addition his inclination to anticipate the potential spirit of mankind to save ourselves from imminent conflict with Iran are among the source factors of a dawning new space policy.

Gingrich will likely be at the forefront of articulating just how a re-designed and streamlined NASA will contribute to real and actual advancements in space. Likely he will agree with Zubrin’s recent pronouncement that orbital space depots are the more effective way for distributing power and weight outside of EArth’s gravity well, etc.

He was sticking up for visionary space activities.

Rubbish. Newt ‘sticks up’ for Newt and the failed foolishness espoused by he and wingman Bob Walker, of the dicredited disaster known as trickle down, supply side economics, aka ‘Reaganomics’ as a catalyst for moving out into the cosmos. All they want to do is dismantle another facet of government.

“I believe in old style dirty campaigning and the survival of the fittest.”

A “tricky Dick” Republican, eh?

Lots of laugh..it won’t even last the current budget environment. Musk is about to drive a stake through its heart RGO

“I believe in old style dirty campaigning and the survival of the fittest.”

By “dirty” politics you must be refering to illegal and criminal activities. As almost all dirty tactics are illegal. So by survival of the fittest you want the best criminal, either Republican or Democrat as your President? Nothing like a race to the bottom. What charming asperations you must teach your children. Go out and break any and all laws until you get what you want. What a charitable good conservative christian you must be … every sunday.

Hey amightywind, any relation to Karl Rove?

SLS/MPCV will not die because of any President but because Congress is not willing to fund it in a way to succeed. Is it THAT difficult to understand?

Except when you don’t.

You certainly got the Willard talking points memo.. I am just curious. So [who] are you supporting for the GOP nomination?

I will support the most conservative candidate left when my caucus is held in February. I will also support the GOP nominee whoever it is. I hope other readers of this forum will too. Until then I will be doing my small part to sling mud and help shape events. I believe in old style dirty campaigning and the survival of the fittest.

That across-the-board cut of 1.83 percent implies, for NASA, a cut of $325 million from its $17.8 billion topline for 2012.

Given our deceiving baseline budgeting process what does this mean to NASA’s increase year over year? NASA clearly needs a RIF.