Look at the decisions being made in the various sectors of our economy, most nonsensical . After we were preeminent in space, our "leaders" placed our capability in museum. Walt Cunningham sums it up!
Cunningham
The Space Shuttle program not only maintained our preeminence in space, it raised our technical expertise and further increased our prestige among the developed nations of the world—precisely the same reasons why the Chinese are now working toward landing a man on the Moon.
Congress is our last hope of putting a stop to the dismantling of a once great agency. They are concerned about job losses and the economic impact, but in the long run, they are not near as costly as the loss of an inspirational vision for the next generation of space scientists, engineers and explorers. You have only to look at Lewis and Clark, our westward expansion, Armstrong and Aldrin landing on the Moon to know exploration is in our blood. We should be proud of it. Americans need a frontier.
While NASA and some others are trying to put the best positive spin on the budget proposal, the negative fallout is building. Personnel requirements for the agency's new direction will do little to mitigate the tremendous losses from this foolish cancellation without a replacement in hand. The real loss, as in the 1970s, will be those trained and experienced engineers who are already leaving for more inspiring pursuits.
