Space Exploration (Seemingly) Has No part in the Future of American Innovation

AIP FYI #135: New Benchmark Report Raises Caution Flag on Future of U.S. S&T Enterprise

“Twenty-one months ago, the Task Force on the Future of American Innovation issued “The Knowledge Economy: Is America Losing its Competitive Edge: Benchmarks of our Innovation Future.” This 18-page report has been credited with helping to raise the awareness of policymakers about U.S. R&D leadership. … The new report, “Measuring the Moment: Innovation, National Security, and Economic Competitiveness. Benchmarks of our Innovation Future II” was released on November 16 at a Capitol Hill press conference.”

Editor’s note: I did a text search of the 2005 report document. “NASA” shows up once, “aerospace” (“space”) shows up twice. “Aeronautics” is not mentioned.

I did a text search of the 2006 report. “NASA” shows up once, “aerospace” (“space”) shows up 34 times (mostly as references). “Aeronautics” is mentioned 5 times.

In neither report is any mention made of the Vision for Space Exploration or anything related to NASA’s manned and unmanned missions. It would seem that the bulk of what NASA does is not covered under the introductory quote in the 2006 report ie. “To keep America competitive, one commitment is necessary above all: We must continue to lead the world in human talent and creativity.” – President George W. Bush, State of the Union Address, January 31, 2006

Sadly, space exploration was often touted as an example of America’s technological prowess – and a harbinger of things to come in our nation’s future. Now it doesn’t even rank worth a mention when the topic of “our Innovation Future” is discussed. Yet nations such as China and India see such things as a source of national pride – and something to aspire toward – accomplishments we now seem to have forgotten.