Commercial Space Proponents Also Urge Funding For NASA's Human
Space Flight Program
In an open letter to the United States Congress released
Tuesday, a group of more than 50 "space leaders" ... executives,
former astronauts, space scientists, space journalists, and others
... urge the legislature to both fully fund the commercial crew to
Space Station program proposed in the President's FY2011 budget
request for NASA, and accelerate the pace and funding of NASA's
human space exploration projects beyond Earth orbit.
The letter state, in part:
"These twin pillars of human spaceflight are each crucial to the
long-term health of our Nation's space program. They are also
interdependent.
"And they will together generate thousands of high tech U.S.
jobs for people in multiple states, including Florida, Alabama,
Texas, California, Nevada, Virginia, Colorado, New Mexico, and
Maryland.
"We are a diverse group, but we are only a handful of the
Nation's citizens who support U.S. leadership in human space flight
in general, and the development of commercial human spaceflight in
particular. We specifically wish to express our concern that the
commercial crew to Space Station program is sometimes seen as
optional or too risky to America's future in space, but nothing
could be further from the truth.
"In fact, the commercial crew to Space Station program is a
fundamental enabler of NASA's human space exploration beyond Earth
orbit, specifically because it will free up the NASA dollars needed
to develop deep space transportation and exploration systems for
astronauts. Moreover, a commercial crew to Station transportation
system, involving multiple separate space lines as the President
has proposed, is more robust than a single-legged transportation
plan, whether domestic or foreign. For these reasons and others, we
fully and enthusiastically support both full funding for the
commercial crew to Space Station program and also the acceleration
of exploration beyond Earth orbit, as the top two priorities within
NASA's human spaceflight budget.
"Together, these two efforts will also:
- Provide an affordable and fast way to close the current
post-Shuttle gap in indigenous U.S. human orbital spaceflight
capability, by using launch vehicles that already exist.
- Provide a safe and robust future transportation network to low
Earth orbit and beyond for U.S. astronauts. Ensure that our
dependence on foreign human launch capabilities is reduced quickly
and economically.
- Reduce space access costs and enhance our national security
industrial base.
- Allow NASA to better focus on accelerating space exploration
and the development of its enabling technologies.
- Excite young Americans to careers in science, engineering, and
technology.
- Stimulate the private sector economy and the development of
space commerce over in a dramatic way, by catalyzing other U.S.
space interests such as space tourism and the operation of private
in-space research facilities.
- Excite entrepreneurs to envision and then give birth to new
commercial services and capabilities in space, further stimulating
the Nation's economy. Others have said that one of the greatest
fears of any generation is not leaving things better for the young
people of the next generation. We agree with this.
- Therefore we reiterate that the near term development of
commercial human spaceflight and a clearly defined program of human
exploration beyond Earth orbit are both essential. Without either,
our Nation's leadership in space will significantly suffer.
"We urge you to make these two goals your highest priorities
within NASA's FY2011 budget for human spaceflight."
The letter is signed by 53 people with an interest in human
space flight.