January 31, 2010

Space Frontier Foundation Applauds NASA’s Bold New Direction

“Take Back Your Space Program!” Will Fight For Reforms on Capitol Hill

The Space Frontier Foundation called on Congress to back the courageousleadership of President Obama and NASA Administrator Maj. Gen. CharlesBolden as they rescue the US space program from certain failure in its ill-conceived effort to return to the Moon. The Administration is charting a newcourse based on common sense and a more normal relationship between thegovernment and private sectors that will not only save billions of dollars but willhelp the US establish a NewSpace industry and eventually human settlements onthe Moon, Mars and beyond.“Everything we know of the plan so far is great!” said the Foundation’s Rick Tumlinson. “This new path will open space faster, cheaper and in a way that will pole vault US companies back to the front of the trillion dollar global space race.It will allow NASA to get back to the job of exploration – and yes, even return tothe Moon, go to Mars and all the rest – but now we will be able to go to stay – andmake it pay.”The Foundation believes this new plan will help NASA do more at lower costwhile transforming the US space industry back into the global force it once was.The Foundation asks: Do we cling to thousands of 20th century government-funded jobs for a few more years or enable millions of private sector 21st century jobs? The role of government in a free society is to enable and regulate the private sector, not to compete with it – as has been the case so far in many areasof space, especially transportation.“Government astronauts should not be driving trucks in Low Earth Orbit or on theMoon,” continued Tumlinson. ”They should be the vanguard of solar-systemexploration, constantly looking over the next horizon, in the tradition of greatAmerican explorers like Lewis and Clark or the inspirational heroes of fiction likeJames T. Kirk – with the rest of us following and creating new wealth andopportunity. Maybe now, after spending decades literally going around in circles,America can pursue its true destiny: To boldly go where no one has gone before.”

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