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Obama Signs NASA Bill to Fund Private Space Flight

by Terrence O'Brien on October 12, 2010 at 09:17 AM

Obama NASA
With the shuttles entering retirement and its budget slashed, NASA has been looking forward to a cloudy future of late. But, with the signing of the NASA Authorization Act 2010, Congress and President Obama have ensured that the world's leading space exploration and research agency will continue to operate at the forefront of the field, albeit in a form that may seem unrecognizable to many. The International Space Station will continue to operate until 2020, and one extra shuttle launch has been scheduled for next year. The agency has also been charged with building a new rocket dedicated to deep space exploration.

The big change comes in the form of $1.3 billion set aside for the developments in manned space flight. This money, instead of going to NASA's research and development, will instead contribute funds to private companies' projects to design and build the next generation of rockets and capsules for delivering passengers to the space station. The legislation also puts an end to the Constellation program, which was started under President Bush, and aimed to put Americans back on the Moon using newly designed rockets and craft. The new package is actually a significant increase over NASA's 2010 budget, something that should excite those who believe that scientific research in the U.S. is woefully underfunded, but it will likely further whet the appetites of deficit hawks who already smell Democrat blood in the water.

Tags: BarackObama, governement, nasa, politics, science, space, top

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