President Obama released the federal budget this week, which included a 2% increase in NASA's budget. The debate over NASA's spending has been going on for quite some time, with many people criticizing the amount of money spent on programs that have unsubstantial results. The new budget calls for cuts in NASA's maned space program. The budget allots $19 billion to NASA, but include cutting their new manned space program. NASA ended their shuttle program last year and was planning on developing a new way for humans to go to space. Their new program was already under development and was called the Constellation program. The funding for this program has been cut by the new budget. This budget does allow for NASA to begin researching, along with private firms, commercial space travel. Out sourcing space travel is now in the works. Defense contractors like Boeing and Lockheed Martin have already started creating space programs.
I found this article very interesting because it really makes it seem as if NASA will not be sending humans into outer space anytime in the near future. While many of NASA's greatest moments have come from programs like the Shuttle and Apollo programs, their unmanned missions have provided us with more scientific data that humans cannot capture themselves. I think now that private companies are entering the business of space, we will see many new innovations come up over the next few years. Companies like Virgin Galactic are getting very close to making commercial space travel a reality.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704107204575039131083087028.html
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