As if the Obama Administration needed any more opposition to its plans to turn NASA into an R&D, rather than a space exploration, center, the Federal Eye’s Ed O’Keefe reports in, Astronaut families press NASA’s case with administration, that the Astronauts Memorial Foundation is strongly opposing the President’s changes to NASA’s human space program in a letter to the President.
O’Keefe does note that AMF’s opposition is less strident than others. Well, the White House and senior NASA management could use some good news. But, before they pop the corks on the Champagne, he adds that the AMF’s opposition is part of a building chorus of former astronauts and lawmakers from both space and non-space states from Oregon to Florida. Time to put the bottle back in the fridge.
The President is scheduled to visit Florida in mid-April to explain his plans for firing space workers from their jobs transitioning space workers to new adventures. We are beginning to think that the President might want to move his trip up a smidge before the chorus becomes the whole state. True, Fox has not signed-on to keeping the space program. But, the night is young.
All of the astronauts who have flown subsequently would tell you that they succeeded by standing on the shoulders of their fallen colleagues. Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins were only able to fly Apollo 11 to the moon after we lost Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee on a simulated countdown to Apollo 1.
In order to honor those astronauts and their families who have sacrificed for all of the benefits of human exploration, and to allow Americans continued pride in our space program, we urge you to vigorously support uninterrupted continuation of U.S. human space flight systems, including the Space Shuttle, and to maintain NASA’s leadership in space exploration. – Michael McCulley, AMF Chairman
(Via Federal Eye.)
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