Executive Director Says America Falling Behind As A Result
AIAA Executive Director Robert
Dickman, Maj Gen USAF (retired) testified Wednesday before the
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on
"Reauthorizing the Vision for Space Exploration." He stressed at a
funding level of only a fraction of a percent of the annual federal
budget, NASA is unable to adequately fund all of its necessary
programs, and that this is putting America’s overall
technical strength and long-term economic growth at risk.
Dickman’s prepared testimony stated in order to meet the
requirements for the Constellation program, NASA is being forced to
drastically reduce funding for programs that have been at the core
of the nation’s excellence in science and technology. For
example, space-related life science and physical research programs
have been reduced by 85 percent since 2003.
For such fundamental research programs, Dickman said "If NASA
doesn’t do it, it won’t get done -- at least not in
this country." Meanwhile, other nations such as China continue
robust research in these areas, and "are poised to assume the
scientific and technological leadership that we are letting slip
away."
He pointed to the critical need of investment in basic science
and technology for the space program: "We have been evolving the
technology of the 1950s ballistic missile program for half a
century... If we are flying legacy based rockets thirty years from
now, our only payloads will be from the government. Anyone with a
choice will have gone overseas."
NASA programs are strongly linked to education and the quality
of the US workforce, Dickman noted. While NASA is not the sole
source of funding for technology, it provides the most visible
motivation for young people to study "STEM" subjects -- science,
technology, engineering and math. Dickman calls for STEM
legislation to provide strong support for technology and
engineering education in particular, at all levels from
kindergarten through university.
Dickman concluded his oral testimony with a wake-up call to
Congress, saying that as a nation we are not doing what is needed
in education, aeronautical research and development, and life and
space sciences, and that "NASA is too important to this nation --
to our education, to our overall technical strength, to our
long-term economic growth … to continue to be under
funded."