Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Draft NASA Funding Bill Cancels Asteroid Mission For Return To the Moon

Posted by Soulskill on from the flip-flop dept.

MarkWhittington writes "A draft version of the 2013 NASA Authorization Bill nixes any funding for President Obama's asteroid retrieval mission and instead directs NASA to return astronauts to the lunar surface as soon as possible, funding of course permitted. The NASA bill is currently working its way through the House Science Committee. Thus far the Senate has not taken up NASA authorization. However the cancellation of the asteroid retrieval mission and an insistence on returning to the moon, which both President Obama and NASA Administrator Charles Bolden have opposed, would place Congress on a collision course with the White House should that version of the bill be passed by both houses of Congress."

3 of 237 comments (clear)

  1. NASA's mission by It+doesn't+come+easy · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Not sure how any serious engineer or scientist works at NASA these days. NASA's mission changes quarterly (or more frequently), subject to political whim. I think our only real hope in the practical exploration of space lies with commercial enterprise. Which, truthfully, isn't that bad a deal. Of course, we still don't have any viable commercial enterprise working yet (lots of startups but nothing concrete at this point). A friend of mine is a scientist who worked at NASA for 12 years. He bailed about 10 years ago because of the political interference and now works at a university on the west coast. Smart man.

    --
    The NSA: The only part of the US government that actually listens.
  2. If people had their priorities straight... by kk49 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    We would do both...

    --
    You can have your god back when you are old enough to handle the responsibility.
  3. This is not the way by ildon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Scientific missions should not be determined by political whims.