NASA should pursue technology

Many disagree with Charles Krauthammer's conclusion that Obama's NASA proposal closes the final frontier. Buzz Aldrin (second person to walk on the moon) said, "The truth is that we have already been to the moon - some 40 years ago. A near-term focus on lowering the cost of access to space and on developing key, cutting-edge technologies to take us further, faster is just what our nation needs to maintain its position as the leader in space exploration for the rest of this century.

"This program will allow us to again be pushing the boundaries to achieve new and challenging things beyond Earth."

The request pledges extra funding to extend the life of the International Space Station through at least 2020 and offers $6 billion over five years to support commercially built spaceships to launch NASA astronauts into space. The new budget also allocates $3 billion in funding to develop better heavy-lift rockets and more advanced space propulsion technology.

Administrator Charles Bolden said that NASA will pursue technology that will enable astronauts to explore the solar system. "Imagine trips to Mars that take weeks instead of nearly a year."

Elon Musk, founder and chief executive of SpaceX, a company that could bid on a commercial contract to launch astronauts, said the administration was being realistic in its cancellation of Constellation.

In 1962 President Kennedy boldly directed NASA to "go to the moon in this decade." In 2004, 42 years later, President Bush directed NASA to go back to the moon using old Apollo-type rockets without adequate funding. That was neither bold nor responsible. Obama's proposal is to get private companies involved in getting us into space and to have NASA pursue future technologies for exploring the solar system - that is an expansive and bold plan for the 21st century.

Eugene Bordelon

Warrenville