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OpinionsInfluencing the future of space exploration often begins with publicizing a particular point of view. Sometimes these views veer into controversial waters and even approach topics that incite argument and debate. The Society believes that discussion of space topics-even difficult ones-can lead to positive change. Guest Blog: Hang Together or Hang Separately by Louis Friedman I criticized the administration for badly presenting their new plan for human space exploration when they rolled out the NASA budget that they would present to Congress. Instead of focusing on a funding increase for NASA and on a new American initiative to send humans farther and longer into space, their message was lost among headlines about cancellation and cutbacks. While proposing that the United States plan an ambitious exploration program that no other country in the world could possibly undertake in the foreseeable future, they were criticized for giving up American leadership. Like I said: I criticized the administration for this. And then I did the same thing. An Op-Ed by Louis Friedman Special interests are focused on saving contracts and funding in certain regions. It is an old saying in Washington: "The president proposes, but Congress disposes." Congress may well dispose of the president's plan for NASA, but if all they do is try to protect the special interests of their own congressional districts, then we will again have a human spaceflight program with no rationale except to protect vested interests. Stage Now Set for Grand Human Space Flight Plan An Op-Ed by Louis Friedman The report of the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee (the Augustine Committee) formed by the Office of Science and Technology Policy is truly exciting and inspiring. But that is hard to tell from its title, its text, or listening to the folks presenting it. It is dry, technical, and full of caveats. Nor would you know it from the media coverage — which is mostly about the negatives of NASA not having enough money.
An Op-Ed by Louis Friedman The timetable for Mars exploration in the coming decade has slipped badly in recent months. First came news that NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), scheduled to launch in 2009, had been rescheduled for 2011. This was followed by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) announcement that its ExoMars lander, which has already slipped from 2013 to 2016, is now scheduled for 2018. And now we just learned that this year’s planned launch of Russia’s Phobos-Grunt mission, built to collect soil samples on the martian moon Phobos and return them to Earth, has been pushed back to 2011.
An Op-Ed by Louis Friedman NASA Administrator Mike Griffin set off a firestorm of criticism over his remarks on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition” concerning global warming. Admired by many, including me, for his blunt and direct talk, Dr. Griffin went overboard this time by being unnecessarily provocative. more » Save Our Science…While Saving the Vision
Published in Space News June 19, 2006 The Planetary Society is in the midst of its most hard-fought political campaign: Save Our Science, SOS, to restore the $3 billion of planned research, analysis and missions that have been cut from NASA space science plans over the next five years. more » Manned or Unmanned? NASA's Flying Blind in
Space
Shuttle missions killing science, space exploration WILL it be "manned or unmanned" exploration of space? I use the politically incorrect "manned" and "unmanned" in stating the question because, sadly, I think we have returned to the bad old days of arguing about and competing between the two. This was, for me, the worst part of this month's House Science Committee hearing in Congress on the proposed NASA fiscal 2007 budget. more » Should the Space Shuttle Fly Again?
October 11, 2005 The space shuttle era is over. NASA has committed to retire the shuttle by 2010 as a key part of the Vision for Space Exploration, the new (2004) U.S. policy for human and robotic space exploration. The plan was made in the expectation that the three remaining orbiters could carry out the flights needed to complete the International Space Station (ISS) and that a new Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) could operate by 2014. NASA Administrator Mike Griffin now hopes to advance that date several years, but budget constraints may limit his ability to do so. more » Mars: Are We Losing Our Vision ?
Executive Director of The Planetary Society August 8, 2005 Mars is a busy place right now: Global Surveyor, Odyssey and Mars Express are orbiting the planet, and Spirit and Opportunity are traversing it. This year the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter will join that fleet and, in 2007, the Phoenix lander will be launched. In the works for 2009 are the U.S. Mars Surface Laboratory rover and the Russian Phobos sample return, and Europe has just moved closer to initiating a ExoMars lander. One can hardly complain that Mars is not getting enough attention from us earthlings. more »
This paper was updated May 2005. In response to the Federal Government's Nuclear Space Initiative, The Planetary Society has drafted a position white paper on the use of nuclear power in space exploration. more» |
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