Comments on: Astronomers warn about NASA planetary funding cuts

By: Heinrich Monroe

Heinrich Monroe — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:14:05 +0000

The NASA budget that came out of this administration is pretty flat, and generally consistent with the real dollar commitments from previous administrations, going way back. So it’s a bit odd to say that he has “no interest in space”. He’s sure not beating the hustings for it, as W did with his VSE (a husting beating that he never properly funded, and never even referred to later on), but he’s also sure not pillaging space.

The decision by the administration to cut planetary science is offset by his increase in Astrophysics (which has been eaten alive by JWST), and heliophysics. So the deep concern from the AAS (which is largely an astrophysics community), is a bit funny. The AAS wants to see itself as a professional organization that uniquely represents planetary science, which it largely is not.

But this is definitely a period of “free drift” in NASA, largely because of the need to clarify rationale for HSF. The proposed budget stability of that freely drifting part of NASA is what should concern people.

By: DCSCA

DCSCA — Thu, 02 May 2013 03:05:22 +0000

“When President Obama spoke Monday at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, to mark that institutionâ€™s sesquicentennial, space got only the briefest of cameos in his address…”

This should surprise nobody.

He has no interest in space; cannot wrestle support in Congress for legislation for evn the most basic initiatives he supports and does not like the give and take of thep olticcal process.

But it should comfort everybody that Romney would have been worse.

This is a period of free drift for the space agency and a rare moment of transition when clearing out outdated management types and clarifying a rationale for HSF ops in the 21st century is essential. Add a measured mix of government and commercial balanced with cost-effective, throw-away planetary probes which should be getting cheaper, not more expensive and the future looks fair even an era of flat budgets and austerity materializes. Mr. Obama has no interst in space. HRC does. And in her administration, 21st century space ops will get direction- nd support.