President-Elect Barack Obama is a space fan, and a troubled NASA is counting on that, notes an Associated Press story. The Obama-Biden Transition Project will provide early indications of the nation's civil space program direction. The transition is spearheaded by John Podesta.NASA doesn't have enough money to do all it has planned and is facing key decisions about its embryonic return-to-the-moon program, new rocketship and about-to-retire space shuttle program. The current NASA plan would have the space shuttle end in 2010 and astronauts not ready to fly in a new moon rocket until 2015. In the five years in between, America would have to rely on the Russians to take astronauts to the mostly U.S.-funded international space station. The General Accounting Office (GAO) has identified this as one of 13 critical issues awaiting presidential decision.
But the more significant issues will be who President Obama names as NASA Administrator; the re-establishment of the National Space Council; the funding requests to the Congress to boost the civil space program; and, the measures sought to boost the commercial space sector. More from the GAO Report.
The Obama campaign said it supports a "robust" program of robotic probes and space-based telescopes and satellites. It also emphasized education and NASA's role in climate change research.
MSNBC notes the loss of NASA Congressional supports on the House Science Committee in last Tuesday's election. More from the Space Politics Blog.
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