The problems with NASA were both political, and also of their own doing. We were supposed to have the Constellation program to take over when the Shuttle fleet was retired, but President Bush never provided the additional funding to make it happen. (if anything, he actually cut their budget in his second term) $9 billion was spent on the program, yet a review by Obama's advisors showed it to be over budget, years behind schedule, and still underfunded. So instead of pouring a few additional billion a year into it and taking a huge gamble, he nixed it.
But even if he had pushed for it, the damage was done. The Constellation program started too late, had technical hurdles that (apparently) couldn't easily be overcome (hard to imagine, considering what was done in the 60's no?), and progress was pretty slow. It was so far behind schedule that we wouldn't of had a viable method for launching astronauts to the ISS until 2023 by conservative estimates. I mentioned $9 billion had been spent since 2004 when Bush created it, right? In the original plan itself, NASA estimated it would cost $230 billion to operate until 2025.
Frankly the Constellation program was just abysmal... granted it never received funding, but I don't see how NASA can make less progress today with more tools and technology (and experience) at its disposal than they had in the 60's. We're seeing faster progress from the private sector than we were with the Constellation program, so I do have to agree with Buzz Aldrin on this one. I think turning to the private sector was the way to go, because NASA is incappable of carrying on without doubling the annual ~$18 billion dollar budget to match the level of funding it held in the mid 60's.
Hm, except back then we got the job done by literally burying NASA in money... at its peak, NASA received 4.5% of the entire Federal budget. Now it gets ~0.60%. Nobody is going to throw that much money into NASA again, politics and the deficit both would prevent it.
But even if he had pushed for it, the damage was done. The Constellation program started too late, had technical hurdles that (apparently) couldn't easily be overcome (hard to imagine, considering what was done in the 60's no?), and progress was pretty slow. It was so far behind schedule that we wouldn't of had a viable method for launching astronauts to the ISS until 2023 by conservative estimates. I mentioned $9 billion had been spent since 2004 when Bush created it, right? In the original plan itself, NASA estimated it would cost $230 billion to operate until 2025.
Frankly the Constellation program was just abysmal... granted it never received funding, but I don't see how NASA can make less progress today with more tools and technology (and experience) at its disposal than they had in the 60's. We're seeing faster progress from the private sector than we were with the Constellation program, so I do have to agree with Buzz Aldrin on this one. I think turning to the private sector was the way to go, because NASA is incappable of carrying on without doubling the annual ~$18 billion dollar budget to match the level of funding it held in the mid 60's.
Hm, except back then we got the job done by literally burying NASA in money... at its peak, NASA received 4.5% of the entire Federal budget. Now it gets ~0.60%. Nobody is going to throw that much money into NASA again, politics and the deficit both would prevent it.
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