Which is precisely why you're not an astronaut.
This is actually one of the areas where I agree with RGS (shocking, I know). You can't gut the space program, divert what resources remain to mucking around in low Earth orbit for the next umpty-squat years, encourage almost solely commercial (profitable) applications for space and realistically expect to get to Mars.
And why not Mars? The pure science alone that would come from putting human hands and a human brain on another planet would be priceless, never mind the technological advances (and employment, and re-emphasis on science and math, and maybe just plain old excitement) that would come with an Apollo-style Mars program. Obama is being a wuss, there's plenty that can be cut to fund it if he could find his cajones.
What you are saying, is that instead of revamping a $100 billion dollar program that was supposed to be done in 2020 that is already over budget and behind schedule, we should continue to invest in, when we have very viable private, American corporations who have not only made extreme headway, but in someways have leapfrogged NASA in the few years they have been around.
Look at the innovations that these private corporations
Divert? We just INCREASED NASA funding, and it's going to be going to R&D and partnering with this private industries to find the cheapest, quickest way into space. There's no great enemy, government doesn't work well without one either. Sad, but true.
Please list the ways in which American or any other private corporations have surpassed NASA.
But that's almost irrelevant. Private industry will surely look for hte cheapest, quickest way into space - to what end? Exploration? Science? Inspiration for our young folks to get serious about math and sciences? Or to find a way to make it profitable?
I have nothing against private industry developing commercial space applications or making a profit from it on their own dime. In fact, I welcome it. I don't believe they should be the only or even the primary player, their duty to their shareholders won't allow them to pursue risk when the primary reward is not necessarily financial in nature.
Gladly here are just some of the private companies involved in space travel and the innovations they're making:
Spring Drive Spacewalk | SEIKO WATCH CORPORATION
Space watch designed for use in microgravity. Nothing too big, interesting nonetheless
Extremozyme Inc.
Biotech company lookin to exploit space and its resources to enhance our production of protein. This is pretty significant, especially if NEA's (or M's, whichever one we can land on) prove to have viable resources.
Space Adventures
Have been taking people to space since 2001. There's a planned lunar mission (though this was delayed shortly), and does not cost that rumored 50 million / seat that the Russians are supposedly going to charge us.
XCOR Aerospace - suborbital spacecraft, rocket engines and more
They've been providing SO flights and R&D reusable launch parts, something that will be essential in sustained future space exploration
Welcome | Virgin Galactic
Another suborbital flight company looking at innovating new, reusable ways of launching/re entry
The proposed budget brings NASA back closer to its old roots of science research, development and technology. Hell, even now, NASA still generally pays contractors to build their ships, they just control or work very closely on the design.
Those are just a few, there are other corps too but I figure the points been made.
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