Obama's NASA

President Obama has just unveiled a new plan for NASA that will, if implemented, vastly change the way that NASA functions. In addition to adding six billion dollars to NASA's budget over the next five years, this new approach would halt NASA's development of spacecrafts. Indeed, instead of creating their own space shuttles, NASA would fund private industries developing rockets and purchase tickets abord suck rockets. In addition to this, the plan calls for a much more multinational approach to space exploration, though the details of such ventures beyond Earth's orbit have not been revealed. While this plan could reinvigorate Space Exploration, it also could result in the death of it. By removing total government control from the development of space programs, Obama runs the risk of such programs failing and moving on. In other words, if the private sector is unable to deliver the tools NASA needs, NASA has no where to go. This plan, however, is clever in that it has fused government run and privately developed space technologies into a team working towards a better understanding of the cosmos. Still, I can't help but worry that by not allowing NASA to have complete control of their projects, space exploration might become less efficient. With the unbridled success of NASA's Mars explorer Spirit, it is obvious that NASA is still on the forefront of space travel and observation. As a result, I am left to wonder, "If it isn't broke, why is Obama trying to fix it?" I hope that this new strategy proves my concern invalid, and I must point out that, despite my uneasiness about the change, I am glad to see more money flowing to a section of our government that has consistently delivered.

Chang, Kenneth. "Billions for NASA, With a Push to Find New Ways Into Space.(National Desk)(NEWS ANALYSIS)(National Aeronautics and Space Administration)." The New York Times. (Feb 2, 2010): A16(L). Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Deerfield High School. 7 Feb. 2010 < http://find.galegroup.com >