Dammit NASA did it again

[dragon]

Stupid NASA cut funding to much needed programs just to protect a project that is do to be retired soon anyways

WASHINGTON -- NASA sent Congress a revised spending plan for 2005 that would significantly cut the Project Prometheus nuclear power and propulsion program, cancel a host of international space station-based biological and physical research activities, and postpone some space science missions, including two advanced space telescopes and a Mars science lander slated to launch in 2009.

http://www.space.com/news/050512_nasa_prometheus.html

[VT-16]

So the ISS is supposed to do what now?

[dragon]

So the ISS is supposed to do what now?

Yup that and I am really pissed about Prometheus and the 2 advanced telescopes.

[DPDarkPrimus]

So the ISS is supposed to do what now?

Make launching schedules more difficult.

[Shinova]

I think I'm seeing a pattern here. Two actually. NASA's trying to be commercially and economically profitable rather than be purely exploratory, and they're afraid to deviate from what has worked (albeit badly, depending on your pov).

[VT-16]

Make launching schedules more difficult.

Right now it´s doing a good job of being the world´s most expensive abstract sculpture. Maybe we should charge art enthusiasts who want to admire it through telescopes?

[Nephtys]

At least this frees up more money for those Faith Based initiatives. Since we all know that this 'Space' is a big evolutionist secular humanist lie. After all. Have you seen 'space'?

*sob* Poor NASA.

[Rocker5150]

This sucks. I was just watching a replay last night about the Deep Space One mission (ion propulsion), and the Prometheus project was mentioned. It really seems exciting! They were saying that using a nuclear reactor, alot more power could be generated to drive an advanced ion drive system. Did the project turn out to be less promising or does this have something to do with anti-anything-nuclear complaints?


-Kevin

[Admiral Valdemar]

Have you seen 'space'?

*sob* Poor NASA.

It's only a theory, but I believe it exists between the ears of fundies and bean counters who govern NASA's budget.

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

This sucks. I was just watching a replay last night about the Deep Space One mission (ion propulsion), and the Prometheus project was mentioned. It really seems exciting! They were saying that using a nuclear reactor, alot more power could be generated to drive an advanced ion drive system. Did the project turn out to be less promising or does this have something to do with anti-anything-nuclear complaints?


-Kevin

It's all rather costly, and NASA's budget is a small fraction of overall spending. But essentially the cuts in Prometheus and the other deep-space exploration missions have more to do with mundane politics than OMG NUKES IN SPACE!!!!11

First, they have to pay to get the shuttle back to operational status, then they're funnelling money to a possible Hubble service mission (which depends largely on how return to flight goes.) After that, there is $400 of added pork added on by lawmakers (the ones who appropriate the money to NASA) as well as the costs involved with uncoming satellite launching and satellite operations.

[phongn]

At least this frees up more money for those Faith Based initiatives. Since we all know that this 'Space' is a big evolutionist secular humanist lie. After all. Have you seen 'space'?

IIRC, NASA actually received all the money they requested; in this case they're shuffling the money around.

[GrandMasterTerwynn]

This sucks. I was just watching a replay last night about the Deep Space One mission (ion propulsion), and the Prometheus project was mentioned. It really seems exciting! They were saying that using a nuclear reactor, alot more power could be generated to drive an advanced ion drive system. Did the project turn out to be less promising or does this have something to do with anti-anything-nuclear complaints?


-Kevin

It's all rather costly, and NASA's budget is a small fraction of overall spending. But essentially the cuts in Prometheus and the other deep-space exploration missions have more to do with mundane politics than OMG NUKES IN SPACE!!!!11

First, they have to pay to get the shuttle back to operational status, then they're funnelling money to a possible Hubble service mission (which depends largely on how return to flight goes.) After that, there is $400 of added pork added on by lawmakers (the ones who appropriate the money to NASA) as well as the costs involved with uncoming satellite launching and satellite operations.

Addendum:

Incidentally, I'm off by several orders of magnitude. It's $400 million, not $400.

[wolveraptor]

I'm sick of all this extravagent spending on military budgets. We need to learn to blow stuff up in space, not Earth. Seriously, what could just 6 billion of the more than 87 billion dollars spent on Iraq do for NASA? Hell, we might already be building bases on the Moon.

[Nephtys]

Six billion could get us a new shuttle. We really ought to be replacing the ones we have...

[tharkûn]

Six billion could get us a new shuttle. We really ought to be replacing the ones we have...

No the shuttles should be retired and a new space vehicle based off of KISS should be implemented. Unfortunately every damn time a new space vehicle is put into the budget it gets killed by Congress or the high muckety-mucks at NASA.

As nice as the pure science is, the vast majority of NASA's budget should go into finding ways to make space more accessible. Cheaper lift, space born nuclear power, efficient propulsion, and the usual stock minaturization, materials research, etc.

I so wish one president would have the balls to veto every damn budget until congress removes the pork.