NASA’s 2011 Budget: Obama Kills Human Space Exploration

It is a new era for space exploration. Today, NASA unveiled a new budget plan for the 2011 fiscal year. If you followed the Augustine Committee this past summer, you know of the great space debate. As of today, the NASA we all know and love is on the brink of a pivotal transition to develop over the next five years. The 2011 budget focuses on discovering new technologies and updating the current means of exploration.

In order to explore new frontiers, we are launching a vigorous new technology development and test program that will pursue game-changing technology development that can take us further and faster and more affordably into space.
—from NASA’s 2011 Budget Overview

Sounds OK, right? But the new plan restricts us to low orbit and replaces astronauts with robots. How can you expect to inspire and renew the public’s interest in exploring our solar system with a focus on robotic probes? It is invariably apparent that “new” programs will replace the old when it comes to President Obama’s initiatives—this applies to more than just NASA.

In addition to the removal of human spaceflight, Obama proposes to globalize NASA’s efforts while partnering with other governments worldwide and commercializing space technology. Although it was inevitable, opening space technology up to the private sector for the purpose of lower costs is a mistake. Why replace NASA’s expertise and history of problem solving spaceflight? Furthermore, human spaceflight will no longer be an American legacy. Countries like China, Japan, India and even Iran will grab the torch. Also, how does this affect the local economies nationwide that are already involved in NASA production?

Kenneth Chang from the New York Times writes:

In place of the Moon mission, Mr. Obama’s vision offers, at least initially, nothing in terms of human exploration of the solar system. What the administration calls a “bold new initiative” does not spell out a next destination or timetable for getting there.

I strongly believe that NASA is now more unfocused than ever. You can’t pull the wool over my eyes.

Listen to the entire teleconference here and read the projected budget changes here. What do you think?