New Obama Budget Reported to Axe Constellation, Future Moon Missions

aww man! i was hoping to see another moon landing! but i guess the environment is more important that doing something we have done six times already.

Worst administration ever.

no, worst *economy* ever.

It's like to cancel Manhattan project (end of WW 2) and put money to usual bomb improvements.

No, worst administration ever.

I've never really had a problem with our current president, I think he;s done an admirable job handling an impossible situation. the bickering children in congress are another matter though. regardless, if this news is true, then its rather disheartening. check out this article on the financials of NASA: www.thespacereview.com/article/898/1

"According to budget documents obtained from the Government Printing Office, the national budget for 2007 totals about $2.784 trillion. At $16.143 billion, spending on NASA accounts for 0.58% of this. Compare this to NASA’s allocation during the mid-1960s when, despite the pressures of the war effort in Vietnam and President Johnson’s Great Society programs, NASA spending made up more than five percent of the federal budget.

How does NASA’s budget compare with the amount of money the federal government spends on social programs? In the 2007 budget, the funding for social programs (calculated here as the budgets for the Department of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs, Social Security, Agriculture, and Labor) adds up to a whopping $1.581 trillion. For every $1 the federal government spends on NASA, it spends $98 on social programs. In other words, if we cut spending on social programs by a mere one percent, we could very nearly double NASA’s budget.

The naysayers often speak as if the country’s social problems would be solved if only we took the money given to NASA and devoted it to social programs. Does anyone seriously believe that increasing spending on social programs from $1.581 trillion to $1.597 trillion would make any appreciable difference?"

.58% of the federal budget! and a bargain at the cost for the science they do. its a crying shame that the general public seems to have this idea that nasa is some huge money sucking black hole conusming huge portions of the federal budget. people need to be educated!

Right... it's the economy. Not short sighted, greedy, power hungry politicians. So tell me... would you say the economy is worse today than it was in the 70's? Because in the 70's when unemployment was nearly 10 percent, as it is now, we faced uber inflation, and a "bad economy", we launched several deep space probes and a very successful multi-use shuttle program.

don't worry guys. China or even India will not cut their space program budget. So they'll be there next but not US

The thing that frusterates me most about descisions like this are the jobs that are lost. How many aerospace employees will lose their jobs? How many starbuck employees that servered coffee to the aerospace employees? McD's? We could go on and on, and it isnt just this program, look at the F-22 budget. The JSF, funding for research projects.

And how many of all of those high level employed people will get unemployement benifits? UNEMPLOYMENT CREATES NO ECONOMIC VALUE! Suddenly, their are fewer jobs the deficit is higher and we have absolutely nothing to show for it. No technological progression. As an economist, and as any other economist will tell you, economic increase comes down to culturual changes, technology, and education.

I hate this

@sciboi

By the calculations used to determine unemployment in the 1970's we are at 17+% unemployment.

It is a combination of many factors that are killing Nasa budget and it is a shame.

Many of the discoveries Nasa generates better the lives of everyone. I hope we can get back one day to being a leader in the advancement of science and technology.

He can't be as stupid as he seems - the only thing I can figure is Obummer is trying to piss off every last person in the country. Now why do you suppose he would want to do that?

I'm really upset about this. Like, THIS WAS MY CAREER. I am going to college with the plan to be an astronaut and go to the moon. This shatters my life-plan.

Hes slashing the Nasa budget to have them "pursue a “heavy-lift” rocket capable of taking humans and robots beyond low-earth orbit at some faraway, yet-to-be-determined date. The White House also wants NASA to focus more attention on climate change research and monitoring and developing programs enabling future exploration of asteroids and the inner solar system."

Sounds scarry if you ask me... like they know that we'll all have to leave the planet soon

This is not a joke! The religion of Islam and its offspring Sharia Law are taking over modern Europe as we know it. Muslims want Islam to take over Europe and North America and force women to cover up or be punished! Please educate yourself on this dire matter!!!

OK HERE ARE SOME FACTS FOR YOU ALL!!!
1. OBAMA HAD A RACIST PASTOR FOR YEARS AT SOME MEGACHURCH IN CHICAGO. PASTOR JEREMIAH WRIGHT. THIS GUY PREACHED RACIST STUFF ABOUT WHITE PEOPLE.
2. WHAT HAPPENED? OBAMA BECAME PRESIDENT!!!! NOW IF ANY OF THE WHITE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES HAD BEEN KKK MEMBERS OR HAD A RACIST PASTOR THEMSELVES THEY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ELECTED PRESIDENT AT ALL.
3. IS OBAMA RACIST? MORE THAN LIKELY SINCE HE WAS A MEMBER AT A RACIST CHURCH FOR YEARS!!!
4. DOES OBAMA REALLY WANT AMERICA TO SUCCEED AND STAY THE MOST DOMINANT FORCE IN THE WORLD OR WOULD OBAMA RATHER HAVE CHINA OR INDIA BECOME THE NEW MASTERS OF THE WORLD?

GOD HELP US ALL IF CHINA BECOMES THE NEW SUPER POWER OF THE WORLD!!! LOOK AT HOW CHINA TREATS HER SHEEPLE? INDIA IS BETTER THAN CHINA WHEN IT COMES TO HUMAN RIGHTS BUT ITS NOT GREAT EITHER. AMERICA MUST STAY THE SUPER POWER OF THE WORLD AND AMERICA MUST BE THE MOST DOMINANT FORCE IN SPACE NOW AND FOREVER!

TO INFINITY AND BEYOND MY FELLOW AMERICANS!!!!

Obama is not racist. he hired the white wife of the first black president.

alright first anyone who says worst administration ever is an idiot. the last one was worst, at least in modern in history. im not saying that obama isnt bad, because hes obviously still pushing this free-market economic bullshit that got us into this and giving away a shit ton of money to corporations and CEOs who dont need nor deserve it, he just hasnt had enough time to fuck this country as much as bush did, and it doesnt seem like he wants to. as for the SVB guy? what in the hell is he even doing on a science news site? its obvious he doesnt belong here for sure. oh and SVB, if youre trying to be serious dont put things in all-caps, its like trying to have a serious discussion yelling at the top of your lungs. that loses you points.

I am the wind! *FWOOOOOOOOOOSHH* *gone*

Lets all just figure out everyones problems here. Take the rest of our lives doing it and die on the same miserable planet that we are suffocating to death. All this just so our kids can see the remarkably small steps we have taken in the last 60 years. I have a cell phone, flat screen tv,xbox and the internet. What have we created or done since then? I say build something big and do something big or go home. We are the future people. The UNITED STATES. Don't give up or back down!!!!!

I'm actually really glad so many comments are agreeing that this sucks! Normally it's a bickerfest to say "___'s at fault" and "no it doesn't really suck." All of us have a passion for this and it's great.

I'm pissed. I'm with gilly027, it was my dream to be an astronaut. Now nobody can really "shoot for the stars."

@doubleuteejeff

i am going to say i have to disagree on you with that one. first of all global warming is a fake and this administration is still pushing to fix a problem that is NOT there. if we halt the space program that would only bring the economy down even more because of the amount of engineers that would be looking for a job. also non of obama's plans have worked out as planed and most of bush's plans worked out, do not forget that we already had a lot of debt when he took office. nasa does bring good to the people to with their discoveries and many people did not agree with the government terminating the original missions to the moon. if they hadn't, we may have been further into our space exploration.

also, what happened to the American spirit seen all over the country just a few years ago...

I really don’t understand this decision why would they scrap the constellation project and the Ares rocket program that already is under development and they already spent billions of dollars on research and development of prototypes.

40 years ago the whole world watched as we landed on the moon. but in 10 years from now we will be watching while the rest of the world lands on the moon and develops colonies for future space missions. But at least we will confirm that our climate is changing and we need to do something about it because we don’t already know that..o wait we do

"He can't be as stupid as he seems - the only thing I can figure is Obummer is trying to piss off every last person in the country. Now why do you suppose he would want to do that?" That's how I'm feeling, is there anyone we can call? Anyone we can complain to?

"official release is now way to ensure job security."

*is no way* is what I assume you meant.

doubleuteejeff
01/27/10 at 3:29 pm
alright first anyone who says worst administration ever is an idiot. the last one was worst, at least in modern in history. im not saying that obama isnt bad, because hes obviously still pushing this free-market economic bullshit that got us into this and giving away a shit ton of money to corporations and CEOs who dont need nor deserve it, he just hasnt had enough time to fuck this country as much as bush did, and it doesnt seem like he wants to. as for the SVB guy? what in the hell is he even doing on a science news site? its obvious he doesnt belong here for sure. oh and SVB, if youre trying to be serious dont put things in all-caps, its like trying to have a serious discussion yelling at the top of your lungs. that loses you points.
I am the wind! *FWOOOOOOOOOOSHH* *gone*

doubleuteejeff, I'm not sure if you're stupid or just plain ignorant. There is nothing "free" about the current market. NOTHING. A true free market has an equilibrium price for everything, IE market clearing. No this doesn't mean that everybody can afford a Ferrari, but without government involvement everything would be cheaper. In a free market there is no such thing as "greed", the market will set it's own price. (if you don't know what I mean by market, then taken an economics class.) The free market was the driver of growth in this country for it's first 150 years. It wasn't until politicians like Wilson, the Roosevelt's and onward for the next hundred that f-ed everything up. And politicians like Bush and Obama CONTINUE the tradition that we know today. Neither is, or was, a good president. Although I'll take our system of government over the communist systems that you seem to prefer. If you like that type of governance so much, you're more than welcome to leave and go to China, or Iran. (And no, Iran does not have a democracy, they just like to act like they do) Then let me know how you love that style of governance after living under it. Lastly, what the He!! are you doing on a science site with your populist BS?

From now on please learn something about history, and the current world you live in before acting like you know something. The problem with society is people like you. People like you shouldn't be allowed to vote because you're to ignorant/stupid to be given such a responsibility.

This style of governance is all about protecting the institution idiots like you created. Hence the reason we got terms like "too big to fail". There has never been anyone "too big to fail". What Harding did during the late teens and early 20's is as close to a perfect example of how the government NOT being involved *fixes* things faster. FDR proved in the 30's that Keynesian economics doesn't work, or the Great Depression would not have lasted until WWII. NASA, until the Global Warming BS, is one of only a few government programs that are needed.

oh dear, we seem to have a political debate, whatever shall we do, because oh my gosh someone doesn't agree with you!

shameful, people if you have a problem with how the country is run then right to your senators, your house members, and most importantly organize yourself. the job of presidency is a helluva lot easier when whomever is behind the desk knows what the people really want.

seriously though if you want to stop corruption in this country it's the people who need to make a change not the politicians.

seriously though if you want to stop corruption in this country it's the people who need to make a change not the politicians.
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This I agree with. However we have to many stupid sheeple in this country that pull for one side or another, and won't realize that both are out to screw you.

shameful, people if you want your government to take you seriously then learn to *write*. I really wish SOMEBODY wouldn't act like the economy and the environment are all we should be spending taxpayer money on. But hey, whatever gets you reelected, right? The people DON'T CARE about NASA, and it's ambitious projects like a moon base that we need to make Americans proud of their government again. Such a shame.

Thereason we are not pursuing a replacement for the shuttle, or another lunar landing, or a base on the moon is because our military already has done all of those and in an economic crisis like we have now it would be a waste of money.

Do you realy think that our governement sat idle since the first lunar landings and did nothing about establishing a base? Do you think that our military does not see the benefits of having a low orbit vehicle like the space shuttle that they would not pursue one.

Look at the stealth plane! It was designed in the 70's and the public did not find out about it until the early 90's. It is still one of the most advanced planes flying. Can you imagine what is in the secret arsenal of our military?

Focusing on a vehicle that can take humans further than the moon actualy makes sense. I don't know if it can be done with the current budget, but it doesn't have to be complete in one year. The budget changes every year.

Maybe I am overly optimistic, and a lot of wishfull thinking on my part but that's the way I am.

Shucks... I always knew it was too good to be true... Well, it is true that ares had problems. Hopefully we can take the long term view here, and hope it all works out for the best. Go private companies! (cough, SpaceX, Bigelow, cough cough)

I guess outsourcing is bad unless it goes to the Russians. 2012 can't get here soon enough.

www.factsarestubbornthings.net

fyi guys, it's pretty official in his plans to axe.

"NASA's mission to return astronauts to the moon would be grounded with the space agency instead getting an additional $5.9 billion over five years to encourage private companies to build, launch and operate their own spacecraft for the benefit of NASA and others. NASA would pay the private companies to carry U.S. astronauts. "

That's 1.2billion/year from a 3.83TRILLION spending budget for just this year.

per news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_budget

Let the private companies take over colonizing the moon and around Earth. Humanity need's to have some financial incentive to get into space, or at least for the time being. So let the private companies work on it for now, and Nasa and our governments can work on deep exploration.

....besides the military isn't going to be building space hotels for the public to come and visit.