Making Space Exploration Relevant (Again)

Testimony of Miles O’Brien: Hearing on Enhancing the Relevance of Space to Address National Needs
“Which brings me to my final point – the agency, dispersed geographically as well bycenters of expertise and excellence – does not speak with one voice as it should. Public Affairs herein Washington needs more authority to direct the far flung PR operations – and frankly they need a budget – which currently is 0. You do get what you pay for. There is no doubt the mission is the message – and NASA needs to be taking us places where we have not been before to capture the fancy of a jaded public. But the message is also part of the mission – it should never be an afterthought. “
Opening Statement By Rep. Gabrielle Giffords
“Yet as the National Academies review, the Space Foundation’s annual report, and the NASA Authorization Act of 2008 all make clear, we can and should do more to enhance the relevance of the civil space program so that it can continue to be an important contributor to the nation’s strength and well-being in the years and decades to come. By that I don’t mean that NASA and our space program should just be about “spinoffs”, as important as past ones have been to our economy and our society. Instead what I’m saying is that our space program is important to American scientifically, technologically, economically, and geopolitically, and we should recognize and nurture that reality so that we can maximize the benefits we accrue from America’s space program in the future.”
Testimony of Deborah Adler Myers
Testimony of Patti Grace Smith
Testimony of General Lester L. Lyles