Obama effectively ends U.S.-manned space flight
“We choose not to go to the moon. We choose not to go to the moon in the foreseeable future and not to do the other things, not because they are hard, but because they are expensive, because that goal will serve only to waste our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are unwilling to pay for, one we are unwilling to continue, and one which we intend to abandon…”
Of course, I’m paraphrasing the speech that, nearly 50 years ago, set the lunar dream in motion.
With mere words, John F. Kennedy placed his nation on a path that would lead it to accomplish the greatest feat in human history. As a direct result of JFK’s inspiration, the United States has landed on the moon seven times. Brave men with manly names like Buzz, Conrad, Shepard, Harrison and Armstrong took flight aboard craft like Eagle, Intrepid, Antares and Challenger. Each time, the world watched, dreamed, and cheered. In the years since the Apollo program ended, the missions have taken on nearly legendary status, leading the disillusioned to the idiotic notion that such an undertaking was simply too massive to have been real. It wasn’t. It just took one man with vision, a person who actually believed that America could achieve the impossible, to articulate a dream.
Shortly before George W. Bush left office, he created the Constellation program and we began the adventure again. We were to reach the Moon’s surface by 2020.
Unfortunately, with the stroke of the budgetary pen, President Barack Obama has gutted NASA’s budget, ending the nascent moon mission and pounding a major nail into the coffin of U.S.-manned space exploration. The space shuttle program has only five more missions before its retirement. After that, Americans will reach the International Space Station aboard Russian Soyuz capsules until 2020. Beyond that, there are no plans for Americans to return to space. Don’t worry, though, Obama assures us that NASA will have enough cash to keep doing research into the bogus science of man-made global warming.
As the president said during a speech last week, there will still be funding for what he termed “programs I care about.”
Since the moon shot is obviously not something that captures the current presidential imagination, it’s gone—sacrificed to the laughable notion of fiscal responsibility within the largest, most bloated, irresponsible budget in history. Instead, Obama has taken $6 billion from NASA, one-third of its 2009 budget, and offered it to private companies to encourage their space initiatives. Rather than do something that inspires pride in their country’s ambition, Americans will be able to watch as corporations line up to kiss the federal ring, grab some tax dollars, and spend it on low-end rockets that will push the wealthy into orbit for a few seconds at a time. Here’s hoping they’ve unionized, helped get the president elected, or promised some sort of future campaign donation kickback, because, as we’ve seen with the government auto takeover, Obama doesn’t embrace the private sector unless it benefits Democrats directly.
Americans will also be able to enjoy the view as China pursues its own lunar dreams, since the Chinese National Space Agency has managed to find the enthusiasm Obama lacks. If things continue as it appears they will, the next two decades will see the CNSA emerge as the global leader in manned spaceflight, likely achieving their goal of reaching the moon sometime between 2020 and 2025.
In the end, the most disturbing thing about the president’s decision to eviscerate NASA is that it accomplishes absolutely nothing. If it somehow fixed his massive budgetary problems, there might be a justification. Sadly, it doesn’t. His budget still creates a trillion dollars of new debt, per year, for the next 10 years. The money he’s taken from the space program does nothing to stem the tide of red ink, will serve to increase unemployment, and fails, in every way, to advance the American cause. So why are we choosing this course?
Imagine how different the world would be if JFK had gone to Rice Stadium in 1962, stood before that crowd, and opted to squash the concept of American exceptionalism in favor of a negligible, short-term, financial gain. Obama has done just that, embracing instead the failed ideology of Walter Mondale, who once said NASA was “a waste of money that would be better spent on welfare.”
If Democrats were smart, they’d ignore Mondale in favor of their flawed forebear, Lyndon Johnson, who said “I do not believe that this generation of Americans is willing to resign itself to going to bed each night by the light of a communist moon.” It was true then, and it still rings true today.
Perhaps there’s still some hope. Maybe Congress will do the right thing and reject this nonsense. If not, President Obama’s most prominent legacy may be the Democrat PR disaster of a Chinese flag planted at Tranquility Base—a nightmare scenario, at least to those of us who still believe in the inherent greatness of this nation.
Robert Laurie writes a daily political commentary blog, The Robalution. Robert holds a degree in English from Wayne State University, and has worked in advertising as a graphic designer and copy writer.
(12 votes, average: 4.67 out of 5)
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There’s a slight error. The Apollo project landed on the moon 6 times, not 7 — Apollo 13 never made it. 12 Americans have walked on the moon.
I also am not sure what speech you are referring to at Rice Stadium in 1962. JFK’s speech launching Apollo was to a joint session of Congress in 1961. At the time, the only American that had ever traveled to space was Alan Shepard, and that was suborbital.
I suspect it is true that Obama is channeling Mondale, but I would have placed greater emphasis on Mondale’s role in destroying the original Apollo project. It is sad that destroying NASA is tantamount these days to destroying the US role in manned space programs. Oh well, the rest of the world can carry on, for now at least — there’s more to humanity than just those living in North America.
Well, never let it be said a writer can’t be humbled by the comments…
About the “7 times” thing. You’re absolutely correct. The error stems from an early draft of the piece that went along the lines of “we’ve launched 7 missions to the moon.” Can’t quite remember what it was. Anyway, when it was changed the error was created. My fault and, yes, I feel foolish.
As for the Rice University speech….it was given on September 12, 1962.
Read it here:
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/Archives/Reference+Desk/Speeches/JFK/003POF03SpaceEffort09121962.htm
Watch it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouRbkBAOGEw
What everyone is missing is the cup can be made half full instead of Obama half empty. This is not a situation of owing China money from Obama massive spending for “fixing” things and not funding NASA. Both can be done and the economy fixed.
Obama is a malaise of no inspiration. He would be the person in court upon hearing Christopher Columbus discovering a new world and lament, “But how can we govern the old one?”
What about a massive space elevator system, anchored in Arizona and linked to space in a platform orbiting there. This is not theory but absolutely capable of being built. It would easily transport cargo and people using simple air pressure for a fast ride to low earth orbit.
Once there a manufacturing platform would employ space transports to the Moon and Mars.
What is worth going to the Moon and Mars? Commerce of course in mining for minerals, metals and fuels which the Moon has quantities of.
The Moon is the most perfect floating carrier to expand the American economy into quandrillions of dollars in revenue with America leading the way.
Imagine instead of Chicoms eating resources that a new Martian colony would be developed for a free people developing Mars, instead of wars cropping billios of people off as what Obama is leading the world to.
Imagine the moons of Jupiter and Saturn in the vast resources there. One moon has coal (yes coal is made without plant matter) as wide as a continent.
America gave a world hope as did Australasian in what to do with it’s discontented and surplus populations. Space as the frontier to be conquered will provide the world population a venue to expand to, in hopes and dreams of prosperity and a better life.
Space travel will not take the form of Star Trek, as it is much more efficient to use “thought” to explore the galaxy, but space in our solar system is the solution to this Rockefeller Rothschild world order inflationary nonsense which is turning most folks into slaves and paupers.
Space is the frontier for profit and liberty. The Shuttle is a worthless program and is past it’s time. It is time to progress to real programs which are cost effective and safe.
Mr. Obama has taken one big step backwards as usual and taken one giant leap against mankind.
We MUST build the world’s biggest ball of string NOW, before the Russians do. Otherwise America will never be great again.
:rolleyes:
So what do you want him to cut. Maybe if he stopped the war in who knows where? What is more important space travel or insurance for the people on this planet? Whats more important fixing the mess we are in or space travel? You can’t travel in space if you can’t afford it. I know you can say Obama is spending so much money, that’s why we can’t afford it. Guess what the money he is spending now is nothing compared to the trillions the Bush administration spent. Why do you think he is spending all this money? In large part to pull us out of a depression. If you have all the answer then you are smarter than anyone else and you should speak up.
Back to the blame bush argument? really? Obama has quadrupled the rate at which the deficit is growing. That’s a fact. 1 Trillion a year for the next ten.
Please, tell me how cutting a tiny 12 Billion from NASA and giving it to corporations helps.
..and to answer your question, Space Travel IS insurance for people on this planet.
ut if you want to prop up insurance corps with tax dollars, go for it.
Why do we need to pour so much funding into NASA? With all the money we owe China we’re already paying for their space program.
Bravo. Excellent point, well made. Obama has no concept of acheivement or American exceptionalism, evidenced by his constant apologies to foreign governments.
I think your article expressed my feelings exactly. I’ve perused the budget and seem to see hugh increases in his favorite programs (Americorp for example), yet he claims he is trying to be fiscally responsible.
NASA brought us the personal computer, cell phones, velcro, need I go on. The fact that most of NASA ‘creations’ actually belong the the people of the United States and have been used to improve the lives of not only Americans but of people everywhere has no value to this president.
Congress must DO SOMETHING to stop Obama from turning the U.S. into 2nd class country.
Maybe private enterprise would like to pick up the slack in the NASA budget for a first crack at the new wave of consumer electronics sure to emerge.
“Congress must DO SOMETHING to stop Obama from turning the U.S. into 2nd class country.”
Seriously? To blame the slide of this country on one person, administration, or party is ignorant. Have you looked at U.S. student achievement lately? Maybe if we all keep telling ourselves we’re exceptional it will remain true.
Nice non-argument “dazzler.”
I’m all for private nterprise paying to explore space. But explain it to me. Why did Obama kill NASA only to give that money to companies that you think should be footing the bill themselves?
You’re right about students. The NEA has done a bang up jobs. Wonder if they’ll get any of that NASA cash.
The USA is broke but not to worry, China will do it. We can still take credit as Americans are a part of humanity in a generic sense.
This article hit it on the head. As a person who remembers the Mercury and Apollo missions all I can say is Bravo.
America’s saddled with dim president with no concept of what it is to achieve something. Destroying NASA is just the latest of his awful choices.
He has made a ton of awful choices, certainly (in my view). But I don’t see how returning to the moon (or even a manned flight to Mars) will achieve anything *meaningful*. It would awesome, sure. An awesome PR stunt.
And I doubt NASA will be destroyed. Look at the Rover program that was wildly successful and over-delivered. NASA can do a lot with a smaller budget — I only wish every other gov’t program could do the same.