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AFictionalSpaceProgram?
MichaelD.Griffin
NationalSpaceClubGoddardDinner17April2009
Goodevening,andthankyou.Thankyouforthisrecognition.ItisnotonethatIeverimaginedIwouldreceive.WhenIlookatthelistofformerGoddardTrophywinners–apartfromanexceptionortwo–Iamlookingatalistofmyprofessionalandpersonalheroes.SomeIhaveonlyreadabout,othersIhavebeenluckyenoughtoknow,yetothershavebecomefriends,andsomehaveofferedtheextraordinarygiftofadvisingandmentoringme.Afewofthemstilldoso.Butwhatevercategorytheyfallinto,whenIlookatthatlistitishardformetoimaginethatIbelongonit.Someofyounodoubtagree.Buttotheothers,andtotheNationalSpaceClub,itsofficers,anditsmembers,Ioffermythanksforplacingmethereanyway.Iamhonoredbeyondmydeeds.I’manacademicnow,attheUniversityofAlabamainHuntsville,andacademicsopine.SowiththebalanceofmyfifteenminutesoffameIamgoingtoopineagainonatopicclosetomyheart.Iamgoingtotalkaboutwhyspace,andinparticularhumanspaceflight,isimportanttousasapeople,andabouthow,today,ourwordsandourpoliciesarenotbeingmatchedbyourdeeds.Afewweeksago,PresidentObamareleasedhisnewadministration’sproposedFiscal2010budget.Forthoseofuswhounderstandthevalueofhumanspaceexploration,ofgoingonceagainbeyondtheshoalsoflowEarthorbit,thewordsaccompanyingthebudgetreleasewereencouraging.ThePresident’sbudgetreiteratedsupportforthe
 
retirementoftheSpaceShuttleanditsreplacementbytheinitialConstellationelements,continuationofInternationalSpaceStationoperationsafter2015,andforhumanlunarreturnby2020.Allofthatisgoodnews.Butworkatthestafflevelcontinuesoutofviewofthenation’selectedleadership,andintherecentpassbacktoNASAfromtheOfficeofManagementandBudget,thenewsisnotsogood.Afterasmallincreasethisyear,ExplorationSystemsatNASAgoesdownby$3.5billionoverthenextfouryears.Whencombinedwithearlierreductionsofalmost$12billionduringtheBushAdministration,wellover$15billionhasbeenextractedfromtheExplorationSystemsbudgetinthefiveshortyearssincethenewspacepolicywasannounced.FundingforlunarreturnintheConstellationprogramwasalreadylessthan$4billionintheyearspriorto2015.ThiswastobeallocatedtoearlyworkontheAres5heavy‐lifter,andtheAltairlunarlander.Withonlyahalf‐billiondollarsnowavailable,thisworkcannotbedone.Howsoonweforgethowitisthatwegothere.SixyearsagoIwashereatthisverydinner,wherewehonored–posthumously–thecrewofSTS‐107
Columbia
withthesameGoddardTrophythatIamreceivingtonight.EvelynHusbandacceptedtheawardonbehalfofthecrew,nottwomonthsafterbeingwidowed.Somemonthslater,AdmiralHalGehman–whoisasdeservingofthistrophyasanyonewhohaseverreceivedit–releasedhisextraordinaryreport,offeringasarootcauseoftheColumbiaaccidentthefactthatNASAhadproceededformorethanthreedecadesintheabsenceofaguidingvision,andcitingathirty‐yearfailureofleadershipbyboththeExecutiveandLegislativeBranchesforallowingsuchasituationtoexist.Inresponse,thecommunityofthoseresponsibleforandinterestedinournation’sspaceprogramvowedthatitwouldneverhappenagain.
 
PresidentBushputfortharemarkablywellcraftedandlogicalcivilspacepolicy,onewhichrespectedtheneedtomeetexistingcommitmentswhilesimultaneouslylayingthegroundworkforboldnewventures–returningtothemoon,establishingasustainedpresencethere,andpreparingforavoyagetoMars.Aftertwenty‐threemonthsofvigorousandhealthydebate,aRepublicanCongressapprovedandextendedthispolicyastheguidingstrategyforNASA,andthreeyearslateraDemocraticCongressdidthesame.Bothpresidentialcandidatesin2008issuedspecificstatementssupportingastrongspaceprogramand,again,PresidentObama’sjust‐releasedbudgetcallsforlunarreturnby2020.Thus,inthelastfiveyearstwopresidentsandtwoCongresseshaveprovidedthetop‐leveldirectionnecessarytoensurethattherootcauseofColumbia’sloss–thelackofaguidingstrategicvisionforNASA–neverhappensagain.Butapparentlysomethingmoreisneeded.We’renotmatchingthewordswiththenecessaryactionsatthestafflevel.Howsoonweforget.Letmebeclear.Inademocracy,theproperpurposeoftheOMBisnottofindawaytocreateaPotemkinVillageatNASA.Itisnottocreatetheappearanceofhavingarealspaceprogramwithouthavingtopayforit.ItisnottospecifytoNASAhowmuchmoneyshallbeallocatedforhumanlunarreturnby2020.TheproperpurposeoftheOMBistowork
with
NASA,asapartneringoodgovernment,tocraftcarefullyvettedestimatesofwhatisrequiredtoachievenationalpolicygoals.Thejudgmentastowhetherthestatedgoalsaretoocostly,ornot,isonetobemadebythenation’selectedleadership,notcareercivilservicestaff.Ifwenolongerunderstandtheimportanceofdefining,occupying,andextendingthehumanfrontier,wecanbeassuredthatothersdo.Acasualreadingofthenewsintheinternationalspacearenashowsthat
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