"Acceptance Slow for Bush's Space Plan"

"With Some Scientists Skeptical, NASA Turns to Advertising Firm to Generate Appeal"
Marc Kaufman, The Washington Post, February 2, 2008.

The Bush Administration apparently has been cutting back on space science in order to plan for manned voyages to the moon and Mars. Of course the big ticket items for NASA to accomplish the manned space mission would come, not in the Bush administration's watch, but during future administrations. Faced with a two trillion dollar cost of the wars the Bush administration has started, and the tax cuts that it still wants to make permanent, it is hard to see where that money will come from.

A lot of scientists say money would be better spent now on cheaper science missions rather than manned space flight. I recently read that the Congress is not funding the major international program to which we are committed to develop fusion power. I think that too would be a higher priority than manned flight to Mars, in part due to our international obligations.

Not to mention that we should reduce the debt we are leaving for future generations, provide health insurance for everyone (especially the kids) and provide a stimulus package that will pay for itself by reducing the recession.

Not surprising that there is slow acceptance for the space plan.

My problem is that I wish we could affort that program, because it would be a great adventure, will long term payoff. But Bush has wasted the money on the wrong things, badly managed.