Obama Reaffirms Commitment to Deep Space Exploration
In a speech delivered at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, President Barack Obama said that he was "100-percent" committed to space exploration and expressed hope that NASA would be able to send a manned mission to Mars within the next 25 years.
The prediction comes in response to criticism of the President’s new vision for the American space agency, which was announced earlier this month. Some of that criticism came directly from former NASA astronauts, who believed that the cancellation of the Constellation program–a return trip to the moon originally announced by former President George W. Bush–was a mistake.
"Pursuing this new strategy will require that we revise the old strategy," the President said on Thursday. "In part, this is because the old strategy ““ including the Constellation program ““ was not fulfilling its promise in many ways. That’s not just my assessment; that’s also the assessment of a panel of respected non-partisan experts charged with looking at these issues closely."
A joint NASA and Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) panel had previously decreed that the Constellation mission was several years behind schedule and over budget. They believed that it would be impossible to land astronauts on the lunar surface within the next two decades.
On Tuesday, Neil Armstrong, James Lovell and Eugene Cernan wrote an open letter to Obama, calling the cancellation of the Constellation program "devastating" and adding, "For The United States, the leading space faring nation for nearly half a century, to be without carriage to low Earth orbit and with no human exploration capability to go beyond Earth orbit for an indeterminate time into the future, destines our nation to become one of second or even third rate stature."
"Without the skill and experience that actual spacecraft operation provides, the USA is far too likely to be on a long downhill slide to mediocrity," they added. "America must decide if it wishes to remain a leader in space. If it does, we should institute a program which will give us the very best chance of achieving that goal."
Obama urged the astronauts, and all of his policy’s critics, to reconsider.
"Some have had harsh words for the decisions we’ve made, including individuals for whom I have enormous respect and admiration," the President said. "But what I hope is that these folks will take another look, consider the details we’ve laid out, and see the merits."
Obama promised to increase investment in new technology which he claims will allow American astronauts "to reach space sooner and more often, to travel farther and faster for less cost, and to live and work in space for longer periods of time more safely. That means tackling major scientific and technological challenges. How do we shield astronauts from radiation on longer missions? How do we harness resources on distant words? How do we supply spacecraft with the energy needed for these far-reaching journeys? These are questions we can and will answer."
He also said that he intends for NASA to begin development of spacecraft for longer space journeys than ever before, and hopes to have the means to complete deep space missions by 2025. The first step, Obama said, was to send astronauts to an asteroid for the first time. By the middle of the 2030s, he said, "I believe we can send humans to orbit Mars and return them safely to Earth" but noted that advanced technology and improved propulsion systems are vital to that mission’s success.
"I’m challenging NASA to break through these barriers," he said. "And I know you will–as always–with ingenuity and intensity."
Under Obama, the space agency will begin investing in the development of private-sector spacecraft. They will also retire the long-running space shuttle program and create new orbital satellites to monitor climate change.
NASA’s budget is currently scheduled to increase by $2 billion next year, though a reported 9,000 jobs at the Kennedy Space Center will be lost due to the end of the shuttle program.
Obama disputed those claims during his April 15 speech, however.
"Despite some reports to the contrary, my plan will add more than 2,500 jobs along the Space Coast in the next two years compared to the plan under the previous administration," the President said. "We’ll modernize the Kennedy Space Center, creating jobs as we upgrade launch facilities."
"And there is potential for even more job creation as companies in Florida and across America compete to be part of a new space transportation industry," he added. "This holds the promise of generating more than 10,000 jobs nationwide over the next few years. Many of these jobs will be created in Florida, an area primed to lead in this competition."
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