Obama Cancels Moon Return Project

g under pg under p Surfing The far side of THE Sombrero Galaxy Posts: 18,200
edited February 2010 in A Moving Train
President Barack Obama has cancelled the American project designed to take humans back to the Moon.
The Constellation programme envisaged new rockets and a new crewship called Orion to put astronauts on the lunar surface by 2020.

But in his 2011 budget request issued on Monday, Mr Obama said the project was too costly, "behind schedule, and lacking in innovation".

US space agency Nasa has already spent $9bn (£5.6bn) on the programme.

This just not the right time to go forward with an expensive project like this. However, my daughter is furious about this decision, she plans on being a astronaut someday. :evil:

Peace
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.....song_Music & Politics....Michael Franti

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Comments

  • CosmoCosmo Posts: 12,225
    g under p wrote:
    President Barack Obama has cancelled the American project designed to take humans back to the Moon.
    The Constellation programme envisaged new rockets and a new crewship called Orion to put astronauts on the lunar surface by 2020.

    But in his 2011 budget request issued on Monday, Mr Obama said the project was too costly, "behind schedule, and lacking in innovation".

    US space agency Nasa has already spent $9bn (£5.6bn) on the programme.

    This just not the right time to go forward with an expensive project like this. However, my daughter is furious about this decision, she plans on being a astronaut someday. :evil:

    Peace
    ...
    She can still be an astronaut.
    And yes... the cost is too great to undertake in these tough financial times.
    Allen Fieldhouse, home of the 2008 NCAA men's Basketball Champions! Go Jayhawks!
    Hail, Hail!!!
  • SmellymanSmellyman Asia Posts: 4,524
    Good...

    I hope we continue to fund wars and huge military spending though.
  • Kel VarnsenKel Varnsen Posts: 1,952
    Smellyman wrote:
    Good...

    I hope we continue to fund wars and huge military spending though.


    That's what I was thinking. Isn't NASA's budget tiny compared to other US Federal Government programs and for how little they spend by comparison their results are pretty damn amazing.
  • rebornFixerrebornFixer Posts: 4,901
    I have no problems with cuts in space funding, at least right now. In fact, I have long felt that there are enough problems on Earth. Put all the money that goes into space exploration toward alternative fuel technologies and biodiversity conservation.
  • CosmoCosmo Posts: 12,225
    I have no problems with cuts in space funding, at least right now. In fact, I have long felt that there are enough problems on Earth. Put all the money that goes into space exploration toward alternative fuel technologies and biodiversity conservation.
    ...
    We can still shoot remote controlled toys to Mars, right? They are great and relatively cheap.
    ...and maybe the landing procedure can be put in to practical use some day... like surviving a plane crash or something.
    Allen Fieldhouse, home of the 2008 NCAA men's Basketball Champions! Go Jayhawks!
    Hail, Hail!!!
  • rebornFixerrebornFixer Posts: 4,901
    Cosmo wrote:
    I have no problems with cuts in space funding, at least right now. In fact, I have long felt that there are enough problems on Earth. Put all the money that goes into space exploration toward alternative fuel technologies and biodiversity conservation.
    ...
    We can still shoot remote controlled toys to Mars, right? They are great and relatively cheap.
    ...and maybe the landing procedure can be put in to practical use some day... like surviving a plane crash or something.

    Hmmm ... Yeah, maybe. The argument can be made. I think my beef is with all the funds that go into investigating the nature of organic molecules on Mars (past and present), while here on Earth, species go extinct daily and we cannot seem to leave ecosystems well enough alone. Yeah, it'd be cool to know more about whether Mars could or did or can support life. Personally, I'd prefer the emphasis to be on ensuring that Earth can still sustain viable ecosystems over the next century or so.
  • Kel VarnsenKel Varnsen Posts: 1,952
    I have no problems with cuts in space funding, at least right now. In fact, I have long felt that there are enough problems on Earth. Put all the money that goes into space exploration toward alternative fuel technologies and biodiversity conservation.


    Except Nasa does that kind of research. And if their funding gets cut, its not like it is going to some other program like that. Hydrogen fuel cells were developed as part of the Gemini program, and some of the most advanced and efficient water purification systems ever developed are used on the ISS since they essentially have to recycle every last drop of waste water and make it clean enough to drink again. If there was a mission to Mars even better water systems would need to be developed. Not to mention the ISS is completely powered using solar cells
  • unsungunsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
    In order to return to the moon wouldn't we have had to been there in the first place?
  • unsungunsung I stopped by on March 7 2024. First time in many years, had to update payment info. Hope all is well. Politicians suck. Bye. Posts: 9,487
    Kind of fitting we are now going to be depending on the Russians to get us to the ISS. The outsourcing of jobs continues.
  • rebornFixerrebornFixer Posts: 4,901
    I have no problems with cuts in space funding, at least right now. In fact, I have long felt that there are enough problems on Earth. Put all the money that goes into space exploration toward alternative fuel technologies and biodiversity conservation.


    Except Nasa does that kind of research. And if their funding gets cut, its not like it is going to some other program like that. Hydrogen fuel cells were developed as part of the Gemini program, and some of the most advanced and efficient water purification systems ever developed are used on the ISS since they essentially have to recycle every last drop of waste water and make it clean enough to drink again. If there was a mission to Mars even better water systems would need to be developed. Not to mention the ISS is completely powered using solar cells

    Fair enough.
  • inmytreeinmytree Posts: 4,741
    unsung wrote:
    Kind of fitting we are now going to be depending on the Russians to get us to the ISS. The outsourcing of jobs continues.

    ha ha ha...damned if he does and damned if he doesn't...

    let's say the headline read "Obama spending 9 billion to return to the Moon"...

    the deficit hawks would be crying like little girls about the cost...and the waste...and crying "we can't afford to leave this debt for our poor little grand children, oh the poor children"...
  • know1know1 Posts: 6,794
    He probably realizes we don't have the know-how to make it back to the moon safely (if we ever went in the first place).
    The only people we should try to get even with...
    ...are those who've helped us.

    Right 'round the corner could be bigger than ourselves.
  • Whatever happened to the optimism and idealism of the 60s? We've gone from exploring the universe and exploring consciousness to destroying ourselves and the earth. I guess the hippies all live in McMansions now and are fat retirees and have become exactly what they despised. That or they dropped out and don't have a voice and realize it doesn't matter...
    Everything not forbidden is compulsory and eveything not compulsory is forbidden. You are free... free to do what the government says you can do.
  • Kel VarnsenKel Varnsen Posts: 1,952
    inmytree wrote:
    unsung wrote:
    Kind of fitting we are now going to be depending on the Russians to get us to the ISS. The outsourcing of jobs continues.

    ha ha ha...damned if he does and damned if he doesn't...

    let's say the headline read "Obama spending 9 billion to return to the Moon"...

    the deficit hawks would be crying like little girls about the cost...and the waste...and crying "we can't afford to leave this debt for our poor little grand children, oh the poor children"...


    And if they saved that 9 billion, it could go to pay for what, a month in Iraq. The reality is NASA's budget is tiny compared to other US programs. I mean it is something like a 0.6% of the entire US federal budget. So if you shifted all of that money to even say education or social security, would they really make much of a change in the budgets for those programs? Plus like I said before for the small expenditure (.6% of the total budget) look at the amazing things you get.
  • And if they saved that 9 billion, it could go to pay for what, a month in Iraq. The reality is NASA's budget is tiny compared to other US programs. I mean it is something like a 0.6% of the entire US federal budget. So if you shifted all of that money to even say education or social security, would they really make much of a change in the budgets for those programs? Plus like I said before for the small expenditure (.6% of the total budget) look at the amazing things you get.

    yeah... like Velcro. :lol:



    just kiddin... I agree NASA is a great investment for this country. We are going backwards if we lose focus on NASA, higher education, advanced technology, etc.
    Everything not forbidden is compulsory and eveything not compulsory is forbidden. You are free... free to do what the government says you can do.
  • OutOfBreathOutOfBreath Posts: 1,804
    For the "If we ever went to the moon" crowd, is that suspicion based on any of the following busted myths recently tested in mythbusters?

    http://mythbustersresults.com/episode-1 ... on-landing

    It's a shame that they cut NASA funding, but not that surprising given the circumstances. It will probably triple again when China starts catching up space-wise. ;)

    Peace
    Dan
    "YOU [humans] NEED TO BELIEVE IN THINGS THAT AREN'T TRUE. HOW ELSE CAN THEY BECOME?" - Death

    "Every judgment teeters on the brink of error. To claim absolute knowledge is to become monstrous. Knowledge is an unending adventure at the edge of uncertainty." - Frank Herbert, Dune, 1965
  • rebornFixerrebornFixer Posts: 4,901
    For the "If we ever went to the moon" crowd, is that suspicion based on any of the following busted myths recently tested in mythbusters?

    http://mythbustersresults.com/episode-1 ... on-landing

    It's a shame that they cut NASA funding, but not that surprising given the circumstances. It will probably triple again when China starts catching up space-wise. ;)

    Peace
    Dan

    Yeah, the whole "we never went to the moon" thing is probably one of the weakest conspiracy theories of the bunch.
  • rebornFixerrebornFixer Posts: 4,901

    yeah... like Velcro. :lol:


    Tang ... Freeze-dried ice cream.
  • I have no problems with cuts in space funding, at least right now. In fact, I have long felt that there are enough problems on Earth. Put all the money that goes into space exploration toward alternative fuel technologies and biodiversity conservation.


    Except Nasa does that kind of research. And if their funding gets cut, its not like it is going to some other program like that. Hydrogen fuel cells were developed as part of the Gemini program, and some of the most advanced and efficient water purification systems ever developed are used on the ISS since they essentially have to recycle every last drop of waste water and make it clean enough to drink again. If there was a mission to Mars even better water systems would need to be developed. Not to mention the ISS is completely powered using solar cells

    + 9 billion

    It's amazing the things we use in everyday life without thinking about them that were invented by NASA while they were trying to find ways to operate in space
    And I listen for the voice inside my head... nothing. I'll do this one myself.
  • Jason PJason P Posts: 19,158
    NASA will still get their funding but it will be applied to more sensible projects. It is my opinions that deep space probes like the Cassini project are more beneficial to science than going to the moon.
    Be Excellent To Each Other
    Party On, Dudes!
  • Pepe SilviaPepe Silvia Posts: 3,758
    m-a-r-s, mars bitches!
    don't compete; coexist

    what are you but my reflection? who am i to judge or strike you down?

    "I will promise you this, that if we have not gotten our troops out by the time I am president, it is the first thing I will do. I will get our troops home. We will bring an end to this war. You can take that to the bank." - Barack Obama

    when you told me 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'
    i was thinkin 'death before dishonor'
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