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Congress

Another Bill To Fix NASA After Other Bills Have Already Fixed It

By Keith Cowing
NASA Watch
April 13, 2016
Filed under ,
Another Bill To Fix NASA After Other Bills Have Already Fixed It

Why Congress’s newest space advocate says the U.S. faces a ‘Sputnik moment’, Washington Post
“At a speech here Tuesday at the annual Space Symposium, [Rep. Bridenstine] unveiled what he called the American Space Renaissance Act, a sprawling piece of legislation that touches on virtually every aspect in space, including national security, NASA and the growing commercial space sector.” At a speech here Tuesday at the annual Space Symposium, he unveiled what he called the American Space Renaissance Act, a sprawling piece of legislation that touches on virtually every aspect in space, including national security, NASA and the growing commercial space sector.”
spacerenaissanceact.com
“NASA is an exceptional agency that has been burdened with constantly shifting and broadening priorities from Congress and the Executive Branch. Congress must provide NASA stability and accountability. NASA must not be a jack-of-all-trades, but committed to a space pioneering doctrine with a purpose to retire risk and commercialize programs. Landing humans on Mars is not possible with NASA’s current priorities, strategies, and missions. Mars should be the horizon goal and NASA needs to develop an actionable plan.”
Keith’s note: Nothing called the “American Space Renaissance Act” has actually been introduced as a bill – yet. As for cutting away the things that Rep. Bridenstine does not think NASA should be doing, well, that involves cutting funding, and every one of those things has at least 2 senators and several members of the House who will have something to say about that. Then again we could end up with more things like CASIS.

NASA Watch founder, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA, Away Teams, Journalist, Space & Astrobiology, Lapsed climber.

5 responses to “Another Bill To Fix NASA After Other Bills Have Already Fixed It”

  1. Daniel Woodard says:
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    Some points in the bill:
    1. The administrator would be appointed by a commission appointed by Congress and would not be directly answerable to the President.
    2. SLS/Orion has first priority
    3. “Until Americans land on Mars, NASA’s main human spaceflight priority shall be to land Americans on Mars.”
    3. The bill embodies the anti-Chinese sentiment of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission.

  2. Michael Spencer says:
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    It’s the timing that I was thinking about, but your points are well-taken.

  3. mfwright says:
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    “NASA must not be a jack-of-all-trades”
    It seems to me reading through the Space Act broadly says NASA’s mission is jack-of-all-trades in air and space.

    “Mars should be the horizon goal”
    Sheesh, it’s been the horizon goal for past 50 years.

    “Sputnik Moment”
    I’m thinking this along with Apollo Program is “baggage” still hung on to many that keeps them looking to the past.

  4. Daniel Woodard says:
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    I am not sure how it constitutes a “Renaissance”. It seems to be a restatement of old partisan divisions and some arbitrary political goals, as usual without a realistic level of funding, rather than any serious attempt to understand what NASA can do to provide rational science and practical economic benefits for our nation.