Where are we headed?

There seem to be two perspectives on the cancellation of the Constellations program, and major participants in previous space programs are divided between the two sides of the barricade. Manned spaceflight is important and giving up on it would be indeed a mistake. However, it did not seem to me at all that this would be the plan of the Obama Administration. 

President Obama’s speech at the Kennedy Space Center was quite inspiring and promising. The President offered an increase in NASA’s funding in order to support robotic exploration which is equally important to the manned spaceflight. Indeed, investing in research that will improve future manned missions seems to be appropriate. [1]. In his speech, President Obama clearly stated the near future objectives of the space program and underlined the importance of stepping forward and doing what NASA has not done before. The proposal seems to be an excellent plan that will support future human endeavors further into deep space, such as landing on asteroids and eventually on Mars.

“…extend the life of the International Space Station likely by more than five years, … conducting advanced research that can help improve the daily lives of people here on Earth, as well as testing and improving upon our capabilities in space. … more efficient life support systems that will help reduce the cost of future missions…” [2]

The Augustine Commission analyzed the situation of the space program in order to offer suggestions on improvements, as well as alternatives, mainly in the light of the termination of the space shuttle program, as well as of the international space station which was supposed to end its operations in 2010. [3] According to the committee, the human spaceflight “appears to be on an unattainable trajectory”. [4] Among the concerns mentioned in the report are matching the space program with the resources, assuring safety, assuring the US keeps its position as global leader in space exploration, as well as moving forward by going further than the LEO and the moon and exploring areas that haven’t been explored before. [5] The Augustine Commission also suggested that in planning the future of the manned spaceflight, goals must be considered first, and destinations should derive from these goals, an excellent idea if we consider that humanity’s main goal with space exploration should be colonizing other celestial bodies and living in space for unlimited time. Ultimately, the conclusion of the committee was that the goal of human spaceflight should be to “chart a path for human expansion into the solar system”. [6]

My belief on the matter is that we should probably look at why we are exploring space in the first place. The motives seem to have changed since the 1960s and 1970s. There is no more space race and the need for military reconnaissance like before. The US does not need to reach first anywhere, but rather improve what has already been done. Most likely the priorities for a space program are of scientific importance. The human race must learn to colonize space in order to assure its future existence. In President Obama’s words, “our goal is the capacity for people to work and learn and operate and live safely beyond the Earth for extended periods of time”. [7] It is appropriate to start focusing on actions that would allow such future endeavors, and for that matter, the future of spaceflight seems promising. I find focusing on such goals to be an excellent strategy.

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Notes:

[1] The White House. Remarks by the President on Space Exploration in the 21st Century. John F. Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida. April 15, 2010. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-space-exploration-21st-century (Accessed October 26, 2011), 2.

[2] Ibid, 2.

[3] Augustine Commission. 2009. Seeking a Human Spaceflight Program Worthy of a Great Nation. Review of U.S. Human Spaceflight Plans Committee.http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/396093main_HSF_Cmte_FinalReport.pdf (Accessed October 26, 2011), 7.

[4] Ibid, 9.

[5] Ibid, 9.

[6] Ibid, 9.

[7] The White House. Remarks by the President on Space Exploration in the 21st Century. John F. Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida. April 15, 2010. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-space-exploration-21st-century (Accessed October 26, 2011), 4.

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References

Augustine Commission. 2009. Seeking a Human Spaceflight Program Worthy of a Great Nation. Review of U.S. Human Spaceflight Plans Committee. http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/396093main_HSF_Cmte_FinalReport.pdf (Accessed October 26, 2011).

The White House. Remarks by the President on Space Exploration in the 21st Century. John F. Kennedy Space Center, Merritt Island, Florida. April 15, 2010. http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-space-exploration-21st-century (Accessed October 26, 2011).