Boeing in Space? Obama Adopts a Conservative Approach

Boeing in Space? Obama Adopts a Conservative Approach

The Debate Over the Privatization of the U.S. Space Program

     On February 1st, 2010, President Obama announced that the space travel program will privatize, providing contracts to private companies to continue with space exploration and to shuttle astronauts to the International Space Station. In nearly every case where I hear privatization in politics, I consider it a bad word. I associate it with procurement scandals, coziness with lobbyists, and corruption of the democratic process. Although privatization may leap-frog technology and our ability for inexpensive manned space-flight, it also has the potential to become a travesty of our initial ideals in exploring space in the first place.

     In the previous ten years, NASA's spaceflight program had lost much of its public support. In fact, one of Obama's early initiatives as president was creating the "Augustine Committee" whose mission was to investigate the validity of agency's manned spaceflight program. The conclusion was that the program, although fully funded, had lost its mission and lacked a administrative mandate. In response, the administration decided to fold the program, shifting the priority of low-orbit flight and research and development to private companies. Though there is still no definitive plans for exploration further afield, the previous administration's plans for a second moon flight and eventual human exploration of Mars are still on the table.

     Though there's very little question about the viability (even the inevitability) of commercial space flight, many NASA professionals and experts in the space community are critical of the decision to eliminate the government's capability. Former NASA moon mission chief director Mike Griffin called it "outsourcing", saying of the administration's decision, "You're basically burning the bridge behind you." He was heavily critical of the decision to remove all space capability from public control, though low-orbit endeavors are a governmental affair. "There no market there for comemrcial enterprise, other than tourism."

     There was further criticism that, although the manned space flight program will be cut, NASA budget actually increased by several billion dollars. However, this extra funding is largely for allocation of corporate grants to develop better rocket technology and provide grants for public-private joint ventures in space flight. In April of this year, NASA awarded $269.3 million to four companies; Space Technologies Corps. (SpaceX) and Boeing, which uses Whitney & Pratt rocket development systems (recently reported on in TIME magazine for developing more efficient turbo engines that will start large-scale job creation). The other two companies were Blue Origin (owned by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos) and Sierra Nevada Corps.

     With this shift in NASA priority funding comes the dangers inherent in our federal procurement system. Earlier this week I wrote about the military-industrial complex, and how the three-ring circus composed of Capitol Hill, the armed forces, and defense contracts to corporations often yield mismanagement, corruption, fraud, and manipulation. As the new space race for public funds evolves, there's a very real chance that the procurement system for the various technologies necessary for space flight could lose integrity in the same way. Another issue that officials at NASA have pointed out is that private corporations will gain much more influence in low-orbit technology; anything from satellite tech to communications and global imaging. However, there are no viable markets for space beyond low-orbit, which could significantly stall another lunar landing, to say nothing of a manned trip to Mars.

     My nightmares are filled with visions of LED advertisements dotting the night sky from the equivalent of sattelite billboards. I can only imagine the breadth of mismanagement and exploitation an unrestricted access to unregulated, multinational low-orbit space may breed. On the other hand, if the nations come together to carefully regulate the progression of commercial space travel and expansion, and pursue exploration by partnering public and private organizations, space travel and the incaculable potential it holds may arrive faster, more affordably, but with the ideals and integrity that began the space program intact.

 

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