now explain for us what technological edge will be lost to us, which advancement would have otherwise been afforded by pursuing the constellation program
this lunar landing was a solution in search of a problem
While one cannot foresee all the possible spin-offs, the technology required for a reliable lunar lander, among other components of the program, could have broad use for other manned missions beyond the moon.
In fact, using the Orion for a scaled-down purpose of its becoming a standby emergency vehicle, assuming the radio reports I heard this morning were correct, amounts to a solution in search not of a problem, but a contingent problem, for which alternatives exist.
In the end, my concern is not so much about the details of Constellation but what seems to be an approach that replaces a chronically underfunded project with what amounts to a potential retreat from the space program. It will be interesting to see what the details are.
Will there be an overriding, ambitious goal?
Will there be a commitment to investing the funds required to achieve that goal?
Will there be a robust assessment mechanism for assuring that the overriding goal is achieved in a timely and economical fashion (unlike the F-35 project)?
Will the overall approach amount to an increase in the intensity of the manned space program or a decline in its intensity?
It will be those criteria, among others, that provide insight into the new approach. If the move is really about deficit reduction, it is little more than symbolism over substance at the risk of foregoing substantial long-term benefits. Even the outright elimination of NASA would make an immaterial contribution toward addressing the nation's long-term fiscal imbalances.
To address those imbalances, fiscal consolidation has to get to the root causes. Politically difficult as it is, that will mean addressing Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid's challenges. Social Security reform is relatively straight-forward (raising the retirement age and then tying it to changes in life expectancy, some increase in payroll taxes, and a transitional period where benefit growth is capped at some percentage less than the inflation rate until the structure is sustainable). Fixing Medicare and Medicaid will involve far more difficult issues, foremost of which will be eliminating health care's excessive cost growth. A situation where national health expenditures consistently increase at a multiple of GDP is not sustainable. Foreigners will not finance that and other fiscal imbalances indefinitely. Resolving the cost issue could well require a fundamental restructuring of the U.S. health care system as it currently exists.
