GOP Lawmakers: Cut NASA Earth Science, Fund Human Space Exploration

GOP Lawmakers: Cut NASA Earth Science, Fund Human Space Exploration


One aspect of a drive for an austerity budget is that programs begin to compete against one another for support and attention. Thus a fight has broken out over which NASA program gets cut, space exploration or climate research.

According to Space News, in a recent letter to Rep. Paul Ryan, chairman of the House Budget Committee, Rep. Sandy Adams of Florida and Rep. Pete Olson of Texas made the plea to focus on the $1.6 billion in NASA devoted to Earth science and climate research as area to suffer budget cuts. While some cynics may suggest that Adams and Olson are just protecting their state's turfs, there is an actual case to be made that goes beyond pork politics.

Climate research at NASA has become very politicized, being seen as more an attempt to amass evidence for global warming and thus support for draconian energy policies rather than as disinterested science. There have also been a couple of launch failures in the Earth science program, one just recently of the Glory satellite. Some have even posited strange, almost-conspiracy theories concerning those launch failures.

On the other hand, while Earth observation science is an enumerated mission of NASA dating to its beginning, human space exploration is its crown jewel. When one thinks of NASA, one thinks of Apollo, the space shuttle and the International Space Station first. Planetary probes such as the Mars Rovers and the Cassini, now orbiting Saturn, come in for mention as well. But Earth Science is rather down on the list of priorities.

Couple that with lingering anger over President Barack Obama's cancellation of the Constellation space exploration program, one can see that an attempt to strike at one of his priorities in an attempt to preserve was is left of the space exploration program would follow as night follows day.

Leaving aside the merits of an Earth Science program, at least if it is conducted in a non political manner, tight budgets mean having to pick and choose priorities. Politically and substantially human space exploration over Earth Science is a no-brainer. Sending human explorers beyond Low Earth orbit has more implications for the future course of human civilization than a politicized Earth Science program.

Plus, it gives Republican lawmakers the opportunity to punish Obama for blowing up Constellation and throwing NASA into chaos. This should serve as a warning. In a democracy, even if one has the power to roll over the opposition and do what one wants, one should think about the long term consequences. Power shifts with every election. And the people who have been rolled over tend to have long memories.