Panel: Reduce NASA Role in Space Launches

WASHINGTON – A White House commission will recommend that NASA overhaul its Apollo-era relationships with private industries, giving corporations a broader role in upcoming space launches to ensure President Bush’s goal of ultimately flying to Mars, according to documents obtained Monday.

The role of NASA “must be limited to only those areas where there is irrefutable demonstration that only government can perform the proposed activity,” according to a summary obtained by The Associated Press that was prepared by the president’s commission. Its final report is expected later this week.

The commission determined that NASA should recognize “a far larger presence of private industry in space operations with the specific goal of allowing private industry to assume the primary role of providing services to NASA, and most immediately in accessing low-earth orbit.”

Experts said that conclusion clearly signals intentions to hand over nearly all space launches – except manned missions – to private corporations.

“It carves out the launch of astronauts,” said George T. Whitesides, head of the National Space Society. “I’m sure there will be a lot of debate about that over the coming weeks.”

Bush created the President’s Commission on Implementation of U.S. Space Exploration Policy to help decide the best way to accomplish his new space vision, which includes resuming flights to the moon and Mars over the next few decades.