The NASA administrator and the Republican leader in Congress say that there is funding for space missions
NASA's new administrator and Republican Congressional Majority Leader Tom Daley, R-Texas, says the space agency will get the funding it needs to carry out President Bush's plan to send astronauts back to the moon and Mars. "We have money to do good things," said Michael Griffin, who has visited at least seven NASA centers since his appointment in April.
During a visit to the Manned Space Flight Center in Houston on Thursday, Griffin spoke with astronauts, flight managers and other officials. Griffin said the agency has received a steady stream of funding that, when adjusted for inflation, is similar to the funding it received when it sent astronauts to Mars during the Apollo program in the 16s and 16s. "You will find that NASA has received as much in the last XNUMX years as in the first XNUMX years of its existence." said. "To the best of my judgment, we can go back to the moon and get to Mars. We can't do these missions like we did in the Apollo era, but we can still do it."
Daly says that NASA is a high priority, even in times of war and tight budgets. "We will provide the necessary funding to get us to where we want to go," Daley said. "And we hope we can do it quickly. Griffin said he sees no reason why the Johnson Space Center would change its purpose and hopes to maintain the existing balance between manned flights and robotic missions.
"If you ask anyone in the country, 'Do you believe that the USA can leave the moon to the Chinese, to the Europeans, to the Russians and to anyone else?' I'm sure the answer will be "no" he said.
Griffin said he believes the majority of the public "wants to ensure that the human race expands into space and that the United States must be at the forefront of that." "That's why it's so important." said. "This is about the direction in which humanity needs to step and they will do everything to get there and what this means for the future of the human race."
