There seems to be a compromise in the air between those who want to preserve Constellation and the White House, according to the Houston Chronicle in, JSC’s Future Relies on Moon Program Compromise.
“The predictable uproar in NASA-dependent states that greeted President Barack Obama’s proposal to cancel the $108 billion Constellation program and the jobs that go with it has broadened geographically into a both a Republican and Democrat drive on Capitol Hill to protect features of the nation’s legendary program of manned space exploration.
Obama critics have gained momentum by seizing on NASA’s sacking of outspoken Constellation program manager Jeff Hanley, rumors of NASA attempting to cancel existing contracts in violation of congressional language, and the administration’s targeted workforce transition assistance for the electoral battleground of Florida rather than all states potentially affected by NASA layoffs.
Scott Pace, a former NASA official directing the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, says he can foresee a compromise in which Congress maintains development of NASA’s Ares I system to reach low Earth orbit and simultaneously underwrites efforts for rockets built by private firms.”