No Joy In The Space Science Community

Planetary Society Urges Congress to “Restore NASA’s Vision”

“The Society supports the Administration’s Vision for Space Exploration, but noted that it has now become distorted, with valuable science and exploration missions being cannibalized to pay for it.”

Space Studies Board News – January – March 2007: Comments from Lennard Fisk, NAS SSB

“The budget issue we must confront is not what we had, but what we need. Science in NASA has a job to do. We are to explore the universe and lay down the foundational knowledge for the human expansion into space. We are to determine the future of the Earth, so that sound policy decisions can be made to protect the future of our civilization. We are to contribute to the capability of the United States to compete in the world, whether it is through new knowledge, new technology, or a new workforce. There is no comfort in knowing that we have been proportionally abused in the NASA budget. We do not have the funds required to do our job, and we are not happy.”

Editor’s note: Have a look at this page : Board Meetings and Presentations, SSB Meeting March 5-7, 2007 if you want to get an idea why Len Fisk et al are so upset.