Obama Budget Offers NASA More Backing
According to U.S. officials, President Obama’s budget for 2010 allocates more money to NASA and space exploration.
The plan gives the U.S. space agency $18.7 billion, an increase of $2.4 billion from 2008, to research climates change and space exploration.
Obama hopes to return people to the moon, like former President George W. Bush, and plans to send probes deep into space.
President Obama will also retire the space shuttle in 2010, but may add one more flight to complete the International Space Station.
This week NASA decided to re-evaluate their plans to measure greenhouse gases from space when a satellite designed monitor carbon dioxide emissions crashed into the Pacific Ocean.
According to Obama’s budget "NASA will develop new space-based research sensors in support of the administration’s goal to deploy a global climate research and monitoring system.”
Christopher Scolese, NASA’s acting Administrator, believes the proposal is “fiscally responsible.”
According to the Aerospace Industries Association, which represents leading U.S. aerospace companies, the budget will also give $1.3 billion to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to develop better weather and climate sensors.
The group also believes that the proposed budget will provide a sound foundation for space exploration and national defense.
"In this remarkably difficult economic atmosphere, we are encouraged to see a budget proposal that recognizes the importance of our national security and invests in space and aviation priorities," said Marion Blakey, president of the Aerospace Industries Association.
Other officials were disappointed by the proposal.
According to Elliot Pulham, Executive Officer of the Space Foundation, the budget “represents a disappointingly small step in the right direction," and “is far from what is needed if the U.S. is to stimulate the economy, create more high-tech jobs and hold on to its eroding leadership position in space."
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Image Caption: A concept image shows the Ares V cargo launch vehicle. The heavy-lifting Ares V is NASA’s primary vessel for safe, reliable delivery of large-scale hardware to space. This includes the Altair lunar lander, materials for establishing a permanent moon base, and the vehicles and hardware needed to extend a human presence beyond Earth orbit. Ares V can carry approximately 290,000 pounds to low Earth orbit and 144,000 pounds to lunar orbit. Image credit: NASA/MSFCÂ
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