What a “Week in Space” it has been! I traveled to Washington D.C. to see the drafting of the first page in a new chapter of the history of US manned exploration of space. The Obama White House is out with its budget proposal for 2011 – and it calls for the cancellation of the Constellation program – which former NASA Administrator once called “Apollo on Steroids.” But the program remained a 90 pound weakling – rolled out by the Bush administration 6 years ago – it never got the funding it needed and never gelled with the public. On Budget day – February first – I caught up with the NASA deputy Administrator Lori Garver as she rolled out the long rumored details….
There are many people who are not sure the commercial route will be a safe way to fly. Can smaller companies – working on their own – deliver space vehicles that are safe enough for US astronauts – and for that matter civilians to ride to space? Lori’s boss – NASA administrator and 4 time shuttle flier – Charlie Bolden addressed that in a session on Tuesday at the National Press Club:
The debate is by no means over – it just will shift venues. Congress holds the purse strings – and the Constellation program has some very powerful supporters on both sides of the building and both sides of the aisle. One of them Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama – home of the Marshall Spaceflight Center. He blasted the Obama Administration – saying: Congress “cannot and will not sit back and watch the reckless abandonment of sound principles, a proven track record, a steady path to success, and the destruction of our human space flight program. Constellation is the only path forward that maintains America’s leadership in space.”
Well, that’s a taste of the debate to come. We also caught up with the only current member of Congress who has flown in space – Senator Bill Nelson of Florida.
If you know anything about the space business, you know NASA has never built its own rockets – it has always relied on commercial contractors to get astronauts – and for that matter into space and back safely. So when we talk about injecting the private sector into space – what we are really talking about is a different sort of relationship between the government and those companies. The Obama Administration is betting heavily on companies that do not have a long history in defense and aerospace contracting – instead focusing on smaller more entrepreneurial outfits that will not be supervised as closely by NASA – and who will not have cost plus contracts. The hope is – these businesses are more nimble and will be able to create a whole new private space industry. On budget day, I also caught up with Brett Alexander – who heads the association that represents these smaller space companies:
There was something else that further cemented this deal – it was the work of the Review of U.S. Human Spaceflight Plans Committee, headed by veteran aerospace executive Norm Augustine. The group delivered its list of options to the Obama Administration last year. For those of you keeping score at home – the White has chosen what is know as “Flexible Path” – but the commission members were hoping there would be $3 billion a year extra in the budget to get busy with some far flung plans. What the Administration proposes is – to borrow a phrase – flexible path – “lite” – as in light on funding. I checked in with Augustine Committee member Leroy Chiao:
I am a 26-year broadcast news veteran - with nearly 17 years as CNN’s science, aerospace, technology and environment correspondent. I am an active pilot, airplane owner and a lover of all things that fly. I was slated to be the first journalist to fly on the space shuttle before the Columbia accident ended that dream. I am based in New York City - married with two teenagers and two dogs.
