Reported Obama Plan Would Privatize Manned Launches

couchslug writes with this excerpt from the not-yet-paywalled New York Times: "President Obama will end NASA's return mission to the moon and turn to private companies to launch astronauts into space when he unveils his budget request to Congress next week, an administration official said Thursday. The shift would 'put NASA on a more sustainable and ambitious path to the future' said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. But the changes have angered some members of Congress, particularly from Texas, the location of the Johnson Space Center, and Florida, the location of the Kennedy Space Center. 'My biggest fear is that this amounts to a slow death of our nation's human space flight program,' Representative Bill Posey, Republican of Florida, said in a statement." If true, this won't please the federal panel that recommended against just such privatization.

Comments

Damn SOCIALISM

[Josh04]

That Obama is practically a COMMUNIST, I tell you!

Re:Beware of the spin.

[fm6]

read it and make up your own mind.

What are you, some kind of commie? This is America! We think what our favorite cable news pundit tells us to think! That's how democracy works!

Re:Afro-American Racism Against Whites and Asians

[Anonymous Coward]

I do not find your ideas intriguing and would like to unsubscribe from your newsletter.

BEGIN (partisanBickering)

[cherokee158]

Does anyone else see the irony in two Republican congressmen complaining about the privatization of space flight?

Re:BEGIN (partisanBickering)

[Registered Coward v2]

Does anyone else see the irony in two Republican congressmen complaining about the privatization of space flight?

They're just following the first rule of politics - no government spending is wasteful if it occurs in your district.

Fly Ryanair . . . to the Moon!

[PolygamousRanchKid]

No check-in. You have to schlep all your moonwalk gear yourself to the launch vehicle: "All you can carry." This cuts down on excess weight, saving fuel costs. Do you really need that extra oxygen tank?

A glass of Tang? "That will be 10€, sir."

Online Gambling! Your now have no incentive to return safely to the Earth . . . you are now bankrupt.

. . . and when you do get back, they lost your luggage filled with priceless moon rocks . . .

"I'm sorry, sir, your baggage was inadvertently placed on one of our flights to Mars. We should have it back for you in a couple of years time.

Re:Fly Ryanair . . . to the Moon!

[itsdapead]

Great - return flight to the Moon $50 (excluding optional $5,000,000,000 life-support surcharge).

Of course, they say Moon, but actually its to the new state-of-the-art spaceport at L1, only a short bus ride away from the Moon. Well, they say new state-of-the-art spaceport... its actually an abandoned Apollo third stage with a Starbucks and a chemical toilet...

Re:Afro-American Racism Against Whites and Asians

[paiute]

During the election, about 95% of African-Americans voted for Barack Hussein Obama due solely to the color of his skin.

And 95% of McCain voters voted for McCain due solely to the color of his neck.

Re:It's not spin, it's Obama's personal priorities

[jgtg32a]

Tang and Velcro what more can you ask for?

Re:Afro-American Racism Against Whites and Asians

[flyneye]

Don't forget, dear lefty , that the red on the neck is an indicator of working in the sun to grow the food you eat, build the house you live in and load the truck that brings the britches on your butt. Now quit smokin' pot, pull up your pants and put a belt on and get back to class.