Houston Budget Briefing For NASA Scientists Turns Angry

[hatrack]

EDIT

The response from space scientists attending the annual NASA briefing at LPSC was highly-charged. Several researchers characterized the budget reductions as the most serious threat to the space science community in a generation.

A concern—given that the NASA cuts are maintained—was the impact on the ability of researchers to "reduce" the science data gleaned from space missions, a process of sorting through data that's tagged as research and analysis. Other scientists told the NASA officials that the budget hits translate into letting go university talent—graduate and post-doctoral students.

One scientist characterized the NASA officials as sitting around a conference table at the top floor of NASA Headquarters in a "science vacuum," a comment that sparked applause from the audience. "I don't understand why you're so angry," Cleave responded. "We come to work every day and we work hard. We really care about this program," she said. The fury from the floor of the meeting was not kept within U.S. borders. Scientists from Europe also cautioned that the NASA budget is damaging international cooperation. Several projects, including the now-scuttled Dawn mission to asteroids, involve non-U.S. partners.

One hot-button topic, for example, is a funding cut for a mission to Europa, a moon of Jupiter, with possible high value in term of exobiology. "The Europa line is gone because we don't have the money to do it now. We didn't say that we're never going to do it. It's just that we don't have it within this budget framework," Cleave responded. "If you want to do Europa, the money is going to have to come from somewhere," Cleave said.

EDIT

http://news.yahoo.com/s/space/20060314/sc_space/angryscientistsconfrontnasaofficialsatconference;_ylt=AmTn2QiqLmnENVCnJmhpN_QPLBIF;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

[mike_c]

1. I say fully fund NASA and take the money from the DoD....

Just a few day's of the Pentagon's operating budget would fund all the science NASA could handle.

[Dogmudgeon]

4. Space Skyhook: $45 Bln; War in Iraq: $600 Bln

Even a mission to Mars, which was estimated to cost $400 billion in the early 1990s, could now be accomplished for about $150 billion, according to Bob Zubrin, who proposed the super-low-cost "Mars Direct" plan ten years ago.

When I think of the scientific and humane uses to which the Iraq war money could be put ...

--p!

[phantom power]

6. Amazing, isn't it?

Ask taxpayers to spend a few billion for NASA, and they flip out. But they'll willingly empty their pockets and sell their grandchildren into eternal debt in the name of a bogus war.

[Gman]

2. The "administration"'s anti-science bias is so obvious but also

the fact that they're sucking money out of everything they can find to pay for Iraq and next Iran.

[johncoby2]

3. Yeah, but they got a tax cut!

[mom cat]

5. All the money for space is being diverted into the Pentagon programs to

militarize space.

Check out this link:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2165313