October 7, 2003
How Much Did You Say That Cost?... Let's take five with Moira Gunn. This is "Five Minutes".
The Nigerians have just put a satellite into orbit on a ride provided by the Russians, the Chinese are about to send their own Astronauts up in a vehicle of their own making, and the Europeans have successfully launched a scientific spacecraft which is on its way to the moon. And what's the US doing? There are some who say we've been very busy pointing fingers at each other. But from my perspective it's much simpler then that: we've just spent decades short-changing the space program.
To understand this, you only need to know one number - well, two, actually - but the second number you already know: It's $87 billion - the amount of money President Bush has just asked Congress for Iraq.
Now Presidents are in the business of providing numbers to Congress, so let me give you another of President Bush's numbers. Just days prior to the Columbia accident, the administration finalized next year's annual budget for NASA and the number? Rounded up, it came to $16 Billion. That's right. NASA $16 Billion. Iraq $87 Billion. As my father would say, "I guess it all depends on where you want to spend your money."
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I remember being on Columbia as it was being built in the mid-70's down in the California desert. I recall holding tight onto one of the inner bracings and thinking how small it all was. If you had told me we would be flying Columbia in and out of space 30 years later, I would have looked at you in shock. Would you drive a 30 year old car across the country? Do you think space vehicles are all that much different?
When we built the Shuttle fleet, it was a time of hope for NASA. We all believed that when the public saw the astronauts and flights to space, the public would get excited. We believed the money would flow, just like when Congress approved every penny of President Kennedy's massive moon budget ... how wrong we were.
So let's go back to May 25, 1961. President John F. Kennedy appeared before a joint session of Congress, and he said, "Now it is time to take longer strides ... time for this nation to take a clearly leading role in space achievement, which in many ways may hold the key to our future on earth."
He said, "I believe we possess all the resources and talents necessary. But the facts of the matter are that we have never made the national decisions or marshalled the national resources required for such leadership. We have never specified long-range goals on an urgent time schedule, or managed our resources and our time so as to insure their fulfillment."
He asked for $531 million dollars immediately and seven to nine billion dollars additional over the next five years - seven to nine billion dollars in 1960's money ...
Included was $50 million to accelerate "the use of space satellites for world-wide communications." That's right. Kennedy had us investing in worldwide communications in the 60's. And where did that lead? Look no further than that cell phone in your pocket. We must invest now to reap benefits later.
If I have anything to say about space, it's this: Spend money. Throw it around. And if you have a mind to take a more conservative approach, just remember the numbers: $87 Billion for Iraq. $16 Billion for NASA. You don't have to be a rocket scientist ...
I'm Moira Gunn. This is Five Minutes.
