Using his moderate planning instincts, Obama adopted a surprising approach to spaceflight that angered political allies and opponents alike.
In doing so, however, he harnessed a wealth of ingenuity and innovation that ushered in a new era of space flight and exploration…
In his forthcoming book Governments and Billionairesformer NASA deputy administrator Lori Garver and reporter Michael Sheetz trace the origins of NASA’s commercial crew program, an evolving human spaceflight program involving private space manufacturers such as SpaceX and Boeing and NASA astronauts.
Garver writes that this hybrid allows for spaceflight “at a fraction of the cost of previous and current government programs.” However, ten years ago, this plan faced opposition from all sides.
The story began in early 2010 when President Obama announced his intention to cancel NASA’s Constellation program—NASA’s space crew program—saying it was “over budget, behind schedule, and lacking innovation.”
This decision angered almost everyone. As Garver and Sheetz write, the plan was “very popular with Congress, with contractors benefiting from tax dollars coming their way.” An impressive array of stakeholders from space companies, trade organizations, and astronauts to lobbyists, Congressional delegations, and NASA pushed back.
The resistance was great.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, while shedding tears, compared the decision to “the death of a family.” The Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist, Charles Krauthammer, casually noted that the move would give the Russians “a space shuttle regime.” Congressman Pete Olson (R-Texas) called the decision “a crippling blow to America’s human spaceflight program.”
Few analysts seem to even notice the $6 billion spent over five years to support spacecraft built for the purpose of launching NASA astronauts into outer space…
By pulling the plug on Constellation, Obama had eliminated market power and competition. Although many associate competition with dog-eat-dog and survival of the fittest tropes, competition is a healthy and productive force.
Here’s the full story, by John Miltimore at FEE (!). By Matt Yglesias.
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