Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger wrote in an op-ed piece today, “Relaunch The U.S. Space Program“,
- Today, America is slipping. The president announced plans to cancel Constellation, the plan to return astronauts to the moon by 2020. This move jeopardizes an $11.5 billion investment, puts thousands of skilled scientists out of work, and shakes the very heart of the space industrial base.
To give up our quest for the moon, Mars and beyond is not what is best for America’s space program. We need a new road map. We must commit to return to the moon through a program run by NASA in partnership with private companies that will invest in bigger, American-made engines to get us to the moon without relying on Russia. This plan must reinvigorate our space industrial base and inspire people, especially younger generations, to dream about our future in space.
As the new Congress convenes today, Republicans and Democrats can build on our progress and keep us reaching for the skies.
Rep. Ruppersberger is on the right track. Hopefully, others will get behind a re-invigorated U.S. space program.