Aerospace Group Urges Presidential Hopefuls to Support Constellation Program
Candidates' Support Will Help America Stay Competitive in Space, Group Says
Over the course of the last two weeks, Constellation has emerged as a campaign issue after suggestions by candidates from both parties that the program could be delayed. Some of the other candidates immediately countered, expressing strong support for Constellation.
According to the AIA, the exploration program, which will return astronauts to the moon, explore Mars, and go beyond that, should not be delayed under any circumstances. Under current funding, there is already a looming manned spaceflight gap of five years after the shuttles are retired in 2010. During that period, the United States will need to rely on Russia for access to the International Space Station, which has recently been designated a U.S. national laboratory.
Constellation is expected to be a powerful magnet for students of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics studies. The United States is falling behind in producing masters of these disciplines, disciplines in which it has held the lead for decades.
"Presidential hopefuls should make their support of Constellation clear and make it an integral part of their campaigns," said Aerospace Industries Association President and CEO Marion Blakey.
The Ares reusable rocket and a new Crew Exploration Vehicle are at the core of the Constellation space program. NASA wants astronauts back on the Moon by no later than 2020 and wants Constellation in full swing by no later than 2014 so that robotic landers can reach the Moon by no later than 2018.
10 NASA regional field centers are involved in conception, research, and development of Constellation.
Head of Scaled Composites of Mohave, California, and leader of the team that created and piloted the pioneering SpaceShipOne, the first privately financed suborbital rocket plane, entrepreneur Burt Rutan has criticized NASA's new CEV project, saying it wastes taxpayers' money on outdated space-archaeological projects that have little meaning.
He has also charged NASA with being a risk-averse dinosaur that isn't doing anything to push the envelope of space technology.
Rutan has teamed up with billionaire explorer Richard Branson to research and develop a fleet of suborbital space-planes. He plans to harness the power-and money-of space tourism to fund more serious private space exploration endeavors. Rutan has also boldly declared that he wants to go to the Moon himself before he dies.
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Published by Brant McLaughlin
I am a Writer driven by endless curiosity and a deep desire to waste time creatively. View profile
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3 Comments
Post a CommentGood point, Nick.
Great article. I am starting to think that NASA should be disbanded and private organizations should start doing space exploration.
I want to go to the moon too. Or at least on an orbital "Getaway".