CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) – President Barack Obama travels to Florida on Thursday to sell his vision of a reoriented U.S. space exploration program that could spell job losses in this state as well as Texas and Alabama.
Obama proposes to retire U.S. space agency NASA’s three-ship shuttle fleet, after each spacecraft makes one more flight this year to supply the International Space Station, and also to cancel President George W. Bush’s planned follow-on program to return astronauts to the moon.
Obama’s space plan, yet to be approved by Congress, would boost NASA’s budget by $6 billion over five years for research and technology development for manned missions to asteroids, Mars and other possible solar system destinations.
The president also endorses using private companies’ rockets to carry astronauts and cargo to the space station.
Full story: Obama to Sell His Space Policies in Florida – ABC News