Zubrin blasts Obama

Hop · 2011-11-27 16:06:06

According to Zubrin, the Obama administration intends to terminate NASA's planetary exploration program.

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. But Zubrin names no source. "Word has leaked out" is the foundation of his claim. In my eyes, this lessens Zubrin's credibility.

JoshNH4H · 2011-11-27 18:21:44

It seems more like Obama has been a relatively lukewarm supporter of space exploration. Based on his statements and actions it seems as if he supports it in principle, but does not place it very high on his list of priorities and isn't willing to increase the budget beyond what is required to keep pace with inflation.

There are, however, some of his programs which I simply find it quite difficult to care about. The new HLV, for example, is in my opinion farcial and is probably never going to get built. Fortunately, the programs to make it possible for private companies to develop space transportation systems have been kept operational and these are in my opinion the most important things that NASA can be doing right now.

Midoshi · 2011-11-27 18:31:17

Like with so many things, there is a grain of truth and point to be made here. NASA's planetary science program has recently pushed through most of the big ideas in the pipeline (MESSENGER, New Horizons, Dawn, Juno, MSL, MAVEN, etc.). After this, future missions are shamefully ill defined. This is largely due to NASA's general near term financial uncertainty. It is even having trouble meeting obligations for planned near future missions for which hardware is ready to be built (like the Mars Trace Gas Orbiter jointly administered with ESA). There is no plan for exploring Mars in the 2020s. You will hear talk about a sample return, but there is no real, cogent plan. And then you have murmurings of a manned mission in the 2030s. There are a lot of planetary science missions to be done before that! The situation is similar with regard to the idea of an orbiter for Uranus, a robotic probe to penetrate Europa's subsurface ocean, and various other things on the planetary science community's "wishlist".

Distressing as this is, to say that the planetary science program is going to be terminated is completely inaccurate. It is not that there will be an end to planning, it is that there simply is no (clear) plan. It is going to be enough of a challenge over the next decade to just maintain the missions already in motion.

SpaceNut · 2011-11-27 18:41:38

The wish to switch over the funding of Nasa to the private companies that save money in the links of space x is where Obama does want the billions to land of course in the sub billion level putting the remainder back into other areas of the budget for the government. Of course this is bordering on the no politics so I will squech my own thoughts.

With a 6 year turn around of build to looking at how fast the science can be processed by the groups in charge of the missions make for undecided direction to be the norm, as its cutting edge tech that needs to catch up each time to allow for the next questions that are being looked for ...

Hop · 2011-11-27 20:06:05

Midoshi wrote:

Like with so many things, there is a grain of truth and point to be made here. NASA's planetary science program has recently pushed through most of the big ideas in the pipeline (MESSENGER, New Horizons, Dawn, Juno, MSL, MAVEN, etc.). After this, future missions are shamefully ill defined. This is largely due to NASA's general near term financial uncertainty. It is even having trouble meeting obligations for planned near future missions for which hardware is ready to be built (like the Mars Trace Gas Orbiter jointly administered with ESA). There is no plan for exploring Mars in the 2020s. You will hear talk about a sample return, but there is no real, cogent plan. And then you have murmurings of a manned mission in the 2030s. There are a lot of planetary science missions to be done before that! The situation is similar with regard to the idea of an orbiter for Uranus, a robotic probe to penetrate Europa's subsurface ocean, and various other things on the planetary science community's "wishlist".

Oh, there's no doubt support's lukewarm and that planetary exploration is underfunded.

Here is a video of subcommittee hearing on planetary science. Green and Squyres complain of the OMB's unwillingness to commit to ambitious joint NASA-ESA Mars missions. Dr. Green says (name mumbled) told him OMB wouldn't commit to Mars 2016 and 2018 (at 36:00 minutes into the video). I suspect Green's conversation with this person from the OMB is the source of Zubrin's "word has leaked out."

OMB's unwillingness to commit to Mars Missions is not remotely the same as "terminating NASA's planetary exploration program".

Midoshi wrote:

Distressing as this is, to say that the planetary science program is going to be terminated is completely inaccurate.

That is my opinion. I suspect Zubrin was exaggerating for dramatic effect. If so, he will get a reputation for crying "wolf".

Hop · 2011-11-27 20:12:44

JoshNH4H wrote:

There are, however, some of his programs which I simply find it quite difficult to care about. The new HLV, for example, is in my opinion farcial and is probably never going to get built.

The SLS isn't Obama's program.

JoshNH4H wrote:

Fortunately, the programs to make it possible for private companies to develop space transportation systems have been kept operational and these are in my opinion the most important things that NASA can be doing right now.

Commercial has been slashed to half of what Obama asked for -- to 400 million. The SLS has been increased to 1.86 billion. A defeat for Obama but a victory for some Republican senators whose districts will benefit from SLS.

falkor · 2012-10-24 16:45:55

Hop wrote:

According to Zubrin, the Obama administration intends to terminate NASA's planetary exploration program.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. But Zubrin names no source. "Word has leaked out" is the foundation of his claim. In my eyes, this lessens Zubrin's credibility.

have you seen the comments? http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/201 … qus_thread great reading

Last edited by falkor (2012-10-24 16:49:02)

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#1 2011-11-27 16:06:06

Zubrin blasts Obama

#2 2011-11-27 18:21:44

Re: Zubrin blasts Obama

#3 2011-11-27 18:31:17

Re: Zubrin blasts Obama

#4 2011-11-27 18:41:38

Re: Zubrin blasts Obama

#5 2011-11-27 20:06:05

Re: Zubrin blasts Obama

#6 2011-11-27 20:12:44

Re: Zubrin blasts Obama

#7 2012-10-24 16:45:55

Re: Zubrin blasts Obama

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