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Texas Lawmakers Press NASA To Base Lunar Lander Program In Houston (arstechnica.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the space-city dept.

Eric Berger writes via Ars Technica: The Apollo missions that flew to the Moon during the 1960s were designed and controlled by what is now known as Johnson Space Center, the home of the famous "Mission Control." Moreover, the astronauts that flew to the Moon all lived in Houston. It would stand to reason, therefore, that as NASA gears up to return to the Moon, major elements of this program would likewise be controlled from the Texas metropolis that styles itself "Space City." Times change, however. In recent months, the politically well-positioned Marshall Space Flight Center, in Huntsville, Alabama, has been quietly pressing leaders with NASA Headquarters for program management of mid- to large-size landers to the lunar surface, which would evolve into human landers. Sources indicated this effort was having some success.

However, Texas legislators have now begun to push back. On Tuesday, both of Texas' senators (John Cornyn and Ted Cruz), as well as three representatives with space-related committee chairs (John Culberson, Lamar Smith, and Brian Babin), wrote a letter to NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. "We support NASA's focus on returning to the Moon and using it as part of a stepping stone approach to place American boots on the surface of Mars in the 2030s," the Texas Republicans wrote. "As NASA reviews solicitations for lunar landers, we write to express our strong support for the establishment of NASA's lunar lander program at the Johnson Space Center." The letter reminds Bridenstine of Houston's strong spaceflight heritage.

4 of 128 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Want space money? Defund military by religionofpeas · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Or, Texas can fund it's own space program

    The senators want to receive federal money, not spend their own.

  2. Remember folks by quonset · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The government doesn't create jobs. We're told this over and over. The Cato Institute says so. And they're not alone. A quick search shows a multitude of people all saying the government can't create jobs.

    So why the big fuss over where a non-job producing venture is to be placed? It's not like anyone is going to get a job out of this.

    1. Re:Remember folks by gtall · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I see you are joking, but just to sharpen the point a bit, that damn interstate highway system never created one job, damn them for building it. And that science government funds, nothing ever comes of it, it should be scrapped because the private sector will create all the science we'll ever need. And DARPA, imagine creating things like the internet, nothing of economic value will ever come it and certainly no jobs.

  3. Only if it makes economic sense by sjbe · · Score: 5, Insightful

    If they still have the talent and facilities in Houston, leave them there.

    Only if this results in the most economically effective outcome. If it makes economic or functional sense to have it elsewhere then move it where it needs to go. I that happens to be Houston that's fine but all reasonable options should be considered first. We definitely should not do what we did 50 years ago just because some well connected political leaders want to pander to their constituencies.