Archive for the ‘NASA’ Category

The non-science President redirects NASA to re-focus on space exploration.

December 19, 2017

You might have missed this in the flurry on news last week…

President Trump issued an Executive Order redirecting NASA’s mission:

The directive I am signing today will refocus America’s space program on human exploration and discovery.

It marks a first step in returning American astronauts to the Moon for the first time since 1972, for long-term exploration and use.

This time, we will not only plant our flag and leave our footprints — we will establish a foundation for an eventual mission to Mars, and perhaps someday, to many worlds beyond — and bring back to Earth new knowledge and opportunities.

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I know what you must be thinking: What’s newsworthy about that … hasn’t that been NASA’s mission all along?

Nope.

President Trump’s Executive Order reverses former-President Obama’s marching orders for NASA.

In case memories have faded, let’s flashback to 2010 ….

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Posted in NASA, Obama, Science, Trump, Donald | 2 Comments »

Maybe government does do some things right … (Did I really say that?)

November 4, 2014

Loyal readers know that I’m a small government guy … I’m with Reagan that government isn’t the solution, it’s usually the problem.

I think that the Federal government is collectively inefficient (i.e. bloated and wasteful) and, with increasing frequency, totally incompetent.

There are a couple of exceptions: the Military, the FBI, and — hold your hats on – the pre-Obama NASA

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It used to be that I was pro-NASA and pro-space exploration because of emotion.

I can still remember being glued to the TV during the first moonwalk.

Even as a teenager, I felt a pang of excitement and national pride.

Later, I was able to rationalize the spending when I saw my older  brother selling stuff from the space program to commercial businesses.

Of course, last week’s incidents provided two additional rapid-fire proof points.

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Posted in Gov't Spending, NASA, Obama Administration, Space Travel | Leave a Comment »

Houston, we have a problem …

July 7, 2010

Whatever happened to going to the moon, or going to Mars, or developing new technologies that can be ported to industry ?

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In a recent interview NASA head Charles Bolden said:

  When I became the NASA administrator, [Obama] charged me with three things

  • First, he wanted me to help re-inspire children to want to get into science and math;
  • Second, he wanted me to expand our international relationships; and
  • Third,, and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science, math, and engineering.”

Full article: Washington Examiner, NASA’s new mission: Building ties to Muslim world, July 6, 2010
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/NASA_s-new-mission_-Building-ties-to-Muslim-world-97817909.html

Posted in NASA, Obama Administration | Leave a Comment »