Obama’s multi-trillion budget for fiscal year 2011, presented to Congress yesterday, cuts NASA’s Constellation system program, although the proposals add $5 billion to that agency’s budget over five years. In scrubbing the Program, budget documents said that it was “over budget, behind schedule, and lacking in innovation”.
The president’s proposals, instead, challenge NASA to initiate flagship exploration technology and demonstrate programs of “gamechanging” technologies that will decrease the cost of future human space exploration. The proposals also embrace the commercial space industry and anticipate that 5,000 new jobs would likely be created by contracting with American companies to get astronauts to the Space Station.
Obama’s plans, in addition to extending the International Space Station to 2020, also enhance the global climate change research and monitoring system, including reflight of a satellite that will help identify global carbon sources and sinks. Provision is made too, for a robust program of robotic solar system exploration and new astronomical observatories.
Some observers have expressed grave concern over the negative impact shutting down the Constellation program will have, in that, new jobs to be created from commercializing the space industry are insufficient to absorb the anticipated 7,000 jobs projected to be lost, in the near term. They also argue too, current skills and capabilities, to a large degree, may not align with future space program opportunities.
Commenting on Obama’s budget proposals, NASA’s Administrator, Charlie Bolden said, “while there will no doubt be challenges as a result of canceling Constellation, the funding for NASA is increasing, so we expect to support as many if not more jobs with the FY 2011 funding the President has proposed.”
Meanwhile, NASA is scheduled to complete the remaining 5 Space Shuttle flights by the end of 2010, with launch of Endeavour within the week, to the International Space Station.
