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A robust space
exploration
program is
crucial to
maintaining
America’s
scientific and
technological
preeminence in
the twenty-first
century. No
other endeavor
challenges us to
develop
innovative new
technologies
which often
improve our
quality of life,
while
simultaneously
fulfilling the
basic human need
to explore new
horizons.
Space
exploration is
an enterprise
capable of
capturing the
public
imagination and
inspiring young
people to pursue
careers in
engineering and
science. One
need only look
to the pictures
of the Apollo
Moon landings
and the
ubiquitous
Hubble Space
Telescope images
in schools,
businesses,
products and
homes to
understand that
Americans are
intrigued by and
support space
exploration.
In January 2004,
the President
announced a
Vision for Space
Exploration that
aimed to refocus
NASA on space
exploration
beyond low earth
orbit with the
goal of
returning humans
to the Moon, and
later to Mars
and beyond. The
Vision proposed
an approach that
utilizes robotic
missions to pave
the way for
manned
missions.
In the two years
since the Vision
was introduced,
I have worked
with my
Congressional
colleagues to
translate it
into our
nation’s space
policy. In 2005,
the Congress
passed and the
President signed
into law the
first NASA
Authorization
bill in five
years. The bill
represents the
will of the
people and an
official
endorsement of
the Vision as a
guide for NASA’s
structure and
organization.
NASA
Administrator
Michael Griffin
has done a
fantastic job in
guiding the
Agency during
this transition
period. As I
have said many
times before, he
is the right
person, at the
right time for
this position.
He is able to
make the tough
decisions that
must be made as
the Agency is
restructured to
carry out a bold
exploration
agenda while
maintaining
leading edge
aeronautic and
science research
programs.
As we move
forward in
implementing the
Vision, I see
three challenges
that America
will continue to
face.
Continuity
– The Vision is
a decades long
endeavor that
will cover many
administrations
and congresses.
We need to
provide for
ongoing funding
for NASA, and
create
continuity in
our space
policies, which
by nature are
long term
endeavors.
Consensus –
Just as Congress
was forced to
come to a
consensus on
NASA policy, the
core
constituencies
within NASA must
come to a
consensus under
the leadership
of the
Administrator on
the
implementation
of the Vision
and its balance
between
exploration,
science and
aeronautics
within NASA.
NASA
stakeholders
must refocus
their energies
towards
garnering the
support needed
to raise the top
line of the NASA
budget.
Competition
– Like it or
not, the United
States is not
the only nation
developing an
ambitious space
program. China,
Russia, the
Europeans,
India, Japan and
others are
investing
significant
resources in
space. We will
cooperate with
some of these
nations and
compete with
others in space.
And with China,
Russia, and
Europe, we may
do both.
America does not
need a
competitor in
space to
motivate us to
do the right
thing and
implement a
robust space
program.
Sometimes,
knowing someone
else is pursuing
the same goals
can focus our
efforts.
To meet these
three
challenges, NASA
must be
appropriately
funded. In the
NASA
Authorization
Act of 2005,
Congress
authorized $17
.9 billion for
FY07 NASA
funding. This is
a little more
than $1 billion
over the
Administration
request of $16.8
billion.
I believe that
the
authorization
bill reflects
the proper
amount of
funding for
meeting the
challenges
ahead. In order
to justify this
amount, NASA’s
core
constituencies
will have to
garner public
support and
build a broader
and deeper
national
consensus in
order to expand
NASA’s piece of
the budgeting
pie. Congress is
by design a
reactive
institution and
we respond to
the concerns of
our
constituents.
Polls have
consistently
shown strong
public support
for NASA and
space
exploration at
up to 1 percent
of the federal
budget.
Currently we
spend about 0.7
percent of the
budget on NASA.
To increase this
amount, American
citizens will
need to contact
their elected
officials to
convey their
support for our
nation’s space
program. If we
cooperate, I am
confident we can
reach a
consensus on a
level of funding
that will ensure
the continuity
of the Vision
and keep America
competitive in
the space age of
the twenty-first
century.
As my friend,
astrophysicist
Dr. Neil
deGrasse Tyson
has said, “Much
work remains to
be done to
convince the
public and
Congress of the
need for a
sustained
investment in
NASA, with
returns on
education, the
economy, and
security. It’s
not just about
Tang and Velcro.
It’s about a way
of enabling a
future we all
want to occupy.”
RF
Ken Calvert
represents the
44th District of
California in
the U.S. House
of
Representatives.
He serves as
Chairman of the
Space and
Aeronautics
Subcommittee of
the House
Science
Committee. |
