NASA's future is being decided right now. Sometime TOMORROW, House Leadership is deciding whether to bring HR 5781 up for a vote or not. HR 5781, for those of you who don't know, is the NASA re-authorizaiton bill, that seeks to continue Project Constellation, the failed Bush program. If the bill is passes, it will force us to spend money down this rathole.
For those of you who have been following this, please join me over the fold. For those of you who already know about this,
Please call your representative, and tell them to vote no on HR 5781, and also, to contact House Leadership, and tell them not to bring HR 5781 up for a vote. The capital switchboard phone number is 202-224-3121, and the operator there will help direct your call
Basically, Bush proposed a program called Constellation. This program was suppose to take us back to the moon, and further into the solar system. However, it is now DRASTICALLY overbudget and behind schedule. Obama appointed a committee to examine the program, and offer various options. Obama then built his budget around one of these proposals. It included substantial R&D, as well as encouraging entrepreneurial usage of space, and it would crack down contractors, making them more responsible.
You can find a lot of good details at Yes Space Can and Reform Space Now
Whether you support the president's plan as is, or you support something closer to the Senate compromise, HR 5781 should be unacceptable to both parties.
Again, please call your representative, and tell them to vote no on HR 5781, and (perhaps more important) tell your Representative to contact House Leadership, and tell them not to bring HR 5781 up for a vote. The capital switchboard phone number is 202-224-3121, and the operator there will help direct your call.
