NASA's Bolden Confronts Unhappiness at Obama Space Plan at Kennedy Space Center
"Obama Lied. NASA Died"
According to the UK Telegraph, a sign was displayed at the entrance to KSC that seemed to reflect the opinion of NASA's work force on the cancellation of the Constellation return to the Moon program. "Obama lied. NASA died."
The sentiment may just be a little overheated, but one has to remember that just a year and a half ago then candidate Obama stood before a crowd of space workers in nearby Titusville, Florida and promised to support the back to the Moon program if elected President. NASA employees and many space supporters in general might be forgiven for being angry by what is essentially a reneging on that promise.
Administrator Bolden seemed to acknowledge the outrage that has greeted the new space policy, which also includes a commercial space initiative, when he spoke to the editorial board of Florida Today. He took the blame for what he views as a incompetent rollout of the new space policy.
"NASA Administrator Charles Bolden expects an icy reception in Senate and House hearings scheduled for Feb. 24-25.
"'I think those who suggest I am in for a battle are absolutely right,' Bolden said in an hour-long interview with FLORIDA TODAY's editorial board.
"A popular former astronaut, Bolden said he made a mistake by failing to brief Congress on President Barack Obama's new plan before the rollout Monday of the White House's proposed 2011 budget.
"'I don't fool myself that I have not injured some relationships. And so my task now is to try to go in and repair those former, incredibly good relationships because of my ineptness in rolling out this plan.'"
Bolden's contriteness represents a shift in attitude from just a few days ago when he had the following to say in an all NASA broadcast:
"'You can hope forever that the president's going to change his mind,' Bolden said during the all-hands address broadcast to the agency's 10 field centers. 'You can hope that I will go to the Hill and get beat up, and ... will say, 'OK, Congress, you're right, my recommendations to the president were all wrong. I was dumb. And we need to go back and spend $30 billion ... on the Constellation program.' Ain't going to happen.'
"Bolden said the longer the agency resists the loss of Constellation, the longer it will take to devise a new plan.
"'The sooner we all get through this period of denial and grief ... the sooner we're going to go to the Moon and to Mars and to other places," he said. "If it takes a year to get through this, we're a year behind. If it takes us two years to get through it, we're two years behind.'"
Clearly Administrator Bolden, NASA, and the Obama administration had underestimated the deep anger that the abandonment of the return to the Moon program has caused. While the new policy has its supporters, such as former Apollo astronaut Buzz Aldrin,Chuck Yeager of 'Right Stuff' fame, and 'Avatar' film maker James Cameron, others have been very caustic in their reactions.
Rocket Boys author Homer Hickam was blunt in a letter to members of the Congress in demanding the resignations of NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver and White House Science Czar John Holdren, whom he blamed for the decision.
Clearly the issue is not just the rollout of the policy, but the policy itself. How things evolve as the Congress picks over it remains to be determined. But salvaging something worthwhile from what increasingly appears to be a train wreck of a space policy will be a tall order.
Sources: British astronaut Nicholas Patrick prepares for Nasa space launch, Jacqui Goddard, UK Telegraph, February 6th, 2010
Barack Obama Flip Flops on NASA Funding, Mark R. Whittington, Associated Content, August 2nd, 2008
Bolden in for a battle, Todd Halvorson, Florida Today, February 6th, 2010
Obama's 'Game-changing' NASA Plan Folds Constellation, Bets Commercial, Amy Klamper and Brian Berger, Space News, February 5th, 2010
President Obama's JFK Moment, Buzz Aldrin, The Huffington Post, February 3rd, 2010
Gen. Chuck Yeager Speaks Out Against Return To The Moon, Jerry Olenyn, KHSL TV, February 4th, 2010
The right way forward on space exploration, James Cameron, Washington Post, February 5th, 2010
Letter to the House Committee on Science and Technology, Homer Hickam, Homer Hickam Blog, February 5th, 2010
Published by Mark Whittington
Mark R. Whittington is a writer residing in Houston, Texas. He is the author of The Last Moonwalker, Children of Apollo, Dark Sanction, and Nocturne. He has written numerous articles, some for the Washington... View profile
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