Jim Foster 'WITHOUT VISION PROGRAMS PERISH'

The President has shown an amazing insensitivity towards those who allowed the United States to be the only nation to reach to the Moon and beyond. It is an outrage that he would announce budget cuts to NASA on the seventh anniversary of the Columbia shuttle disaster in which seven brave astronauts were killed. The President's new NASA budget puts questionable global warming research above the need to keep a manned presence in space. His freshman attempt at putting together a budget depends on RUSSIA to take our astronauts to the International Space Station.

This policy is dangerous, short sighted, and shows his total lack of understanding of world affairs. We will count on Russia to help us get to the ISS when we couldn't count on them LAST YEAR to help us keep Nuclear Weapons from IRAN? Nonsense!!!

What we are witnessing is the direct result of not having a clear VISION for NASA! Rather than seeing the National Security role of NASA, the Missile Defense role of NASA, the Covert Spy Capability of NASA, the Commercial and Military Satellite Operational role of NASA, the Science Exploration role of NASA, the Innovations and Invention Producing role of NASA, our government has allowed NASA to become nothing more in the eyes of many people than a high priced attempt to find little green men on other planets.

Instead of looking for life on other planets, we should be focused on using NASA to improve life here on earth!!! We are seeing the incremental dismantling of NASA because the American people have not been told just how much NASA benefits their daily lives.


Here is my FOSTER CARE PLAN for a NEGLECTED NASA!!

1. Congress must REJECT the President's budget.
2. The Defense Dept., National Science Foundation, N.O.A.A., the CIA, the National Air and Space Museum, and other agencies who benefit from manned space flight should be strongly urged to make up some of the slack in NASA funding caused by the Presidents budget.
3. I urge NASA to begin a Public Relations campaign aimed at laying out a NEW and realistic vision for the next generation of manned space flight.
4. NASA should immediately expand their research into the oceans of the world. The same technology that is used to build space vehicles can be used to build underwater vessels.
5. I challenge inventors, scientists, and even back yard tinkers to think big and find new uses for the products NASA creates to equip their vehicles.
6. NASA should produce a prime time network television program that would follow the daily work and mission of our brave astronauts. This would build interest in NASA and help people understand their role.
7. We must expand diplomatic talks with other countries who share our vision for manned space flight. We need to co-ordinate our efforts and work together to fund and carry out the mission of NASA.

I do not have all of the answers for NASA. What I do have is what the USA once had, the ability to dream big, think outside of the box, to go where no one has dared go before. NASA has NOT failed us - we have failed NASA.

TEXT and PHOTO CREDIT: Jim Foster for Congress