NASA Budget Meetings today

I was working today when NASA had their budget briefing, and unable to read the #NASATweetup live as it happened. However when I got home I made a point to find as much information as I could about it.

A couple of things stuck out at me and grabbed me by the throat.

Canceling the manned Mars program, which quite honestly, upsets me.

When I was young the goal of NASA was to get a Space Station up and running.

For the last few years it has seemed like getting rovers on Mars and eventually man on Mars has been the goal. When I talk to my students about becoming space explorers that is one of the things they bring up, going to Mars to learn what is there, and beyond. This year I have been able to tell my students (thanks to #NASATweetup for STS-135) that this goal is something that they should aspire to reach out and grab. Now the people in charge are saying this goal is too expensive.

Here is a conversation between my friend Libby and Gabe (from #SCTweetup), which is how I learned that they have said it is out.

GabeSalas Spock not amused 

@ 

@libbydoodle I'm just catching up myself. Found out a #Mars mission is not within budget. Orion will be functional by 2017.

29 minutes ago 

libbydoodle Libby Norcross 

@ 

@GabeSalas A manned Mars mission is out?! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

25 minutes ago 

GabeSalas Spock not amused 

@ 

@libbydoodle I KNOW! Apparently, there are stuff on the table, but not for the time being. Plausibly after Orion's first successful launch.

23 minutes ago 

libbydoodle Libby Norcross 

@ 

@GabeSalas I hope so. What can we inspire kids to aspire to? Mars was the most exciting thing we had. Sad face :(

21 minutes ago 

GabeSalas Spock not amused 

@ 

@libbydoodle Agree. The issue was budget over-runs. Of course you will have that when doing something no one has ever done before.

20 minutes ago 

libbydoodle Libby Norcross 

@ 

@GabeSalas Question: How will deepspace stuff like JWST (which I think is cool, don't get me wrong) benefit humanity vs. a mission to Mars?

17 minutes ago 

in reply to ↑

@GabeSalasSpock not amused

@libbydoodle By being able to observe a larger area of our universe, we will learn what we need once we eventually go out there.

The last quote from Gabe is the one that reached out and grabbed me by the throat.

WE, as humans need to be able to observe a larger area of our universe, WE need to be able to learn what is out there. WE need the ability to explore in order to save our planet, to save our future. WE need to continue to inspire our students to reach for the stars.


I agree with this:  The @BadAstronomer on the #nasabudget: "There’s no easy way to say this: these cuts are devastating." 
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