This is the eighth article in our “issues” series being written in conjunction with Dave Schuler’s series at The Glittering Eye. The first article in the series, on Foreign Affairs, can be found here. The second article, on Fiscal Policy, can be found here. The third article, on Economic Policy, can be found here. The fourth article, on Health Care Policy, can be found here. The fifth article, on Energy Policy, can be found here. The sixth article, on civil liberties issues, can be found here. The seventh article, on values issues, can be found here.

In the 1990’s, I believed that space exploration was the single most important challenge facing America. The Cold War was over, the economy was strong, and the nation needed a new identity, a new focus, to guide us in the 21st century. Space exploration would feed our need for a national myth, while providing new and exciting technologies and pushing the bounds of what the human race thought possible.

That was then. I still love the idea of exploring space, but we clearly have bigger things to worry about. The focus in recent years has been less on high-profile manned missions like Mercury and Apollo that captured the world’s imagination, and more on complex but less expensive probes. The Hubble telescope was a success, and missions continue to the International Space Station, but there is no permanent base on the moon, and the dream of landing on Mars seems no closer. To make matters worse, when tourists want to visit space, they rely on the Russian space agency to get them there. These are clearly not the best times for NASA.

In addition, the current fleet of shuttles is set to retire in 2010 upon completion of the International Space Station. There is a new project, dubbed Constellation, to design the next generation of launch vehicles, including the Ares I rocket, and the Orion exploration vehicle. However, these are not due to debut until 2015, leaving a potential 5-year gap in our space travel capabilities. There are long-term plans for a return to the moon, and, eventually, a mission to Mars. The chances of success for these exciting projects depend greatly on the leadership of the next president.

Here’s what each candidate has proposed.

McCain’s Plan

“Let us now embark upon this great journey into the stars to find whatever may await us.”
– John McCain

McCain’s plan offers little in specifics, but he does say the right things. He promises to:

• Ensure that space exploration is top priority and that the U.S. remains a leader;

• Commit to funding the NASA Constellation program to ensure it has the resources it needs to begin a new era of human space exploration.

• Review and explore all options to ensure U.S. access to space by minimizing the gap between the termination of the Space Shuttle and the availability of its replacement vehicle;

• Ensure the national space workforce is maintained and fully utilized; Complete construction of the ISS National Laboratory;

• Seek to maximize the research capability and commercialization possibilities of the ISS National Laboratory;

• Maintain infrastructure investments in Earth-monitoring satellites and support systems;

• Seek to maintain the nation’s space infrastructure;

• Prevent wasteful earmarks from diverting precious resources from critical scientific research;

• Ensure adequate investments in aeronautics research.

In all of these platitudes, there is nothing specific about goals, timetables, or funding. No one wants to commit to cutting anyone’s favorite program while running for office. In other statements, McCain has promised to freeze non-essential government spending and subject all government programs to a spending review. NASA could apply for a waiver, but between the stresses of the budget and McCain’s promises to reduce government spending, “make it highly unlikely that NASA will hit all of its planned targets in a McCain administration.”

Obama’s Plan
“I grew up on Star Trek. I believe in the final frontier.”
– Barack Obama

Like McCain, Obama wants to provide funding for the Constellation program. He also supports extending the service of the shuttle to narrow the gap between retirement in 2010 and the Ares I in 2015. He pledges to complete the International Space Station.

Several times, he mentions promoting international cooperation in space, and using the technology of NASA to assist with studies of climate change. Given his emphasis on international cooperation in foreign policy and his promises to address climate change, this is not a surprise. Obama also wants to focus on the technological innovation and educational opportunities afforded by the space program.
Obama, too, says all the right things when it comes to supporting the space program. While there are plenty of positive phrases, his plan also does not include any specific timetables or guaranteed dollar amounts.

In responding to a question from a voter, Obama said this:

So I’m a big supporter of the space program. I think it needs to be redefined, though. We’ve kind of lost a sense of mission in terms of what it is that NASA should be trying to achieve . . . And that’s a major debate I’m going to want to convene when I’m president of the United States. What direction do we take the space program in?

That’s a good question.

Conclusion

In 1961, John Kennedy promised to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. It was a daring plan, and one that led to one of humankind’s greatest achievements when the Apollo mission landed on the moon in 1969.

That deep devotion to the space program is lacking in both candidates. Sadly but understandably, other issues are going to take precedence. Both men support the space program, but with the panoply of other problems facing the nation, neither one is likely to do anything radical to move us deeper into space. It seems likely that whoever is elected will fund the Constellation program to replace the shuttles, finish the International Space Station, and NASA will continue to send probes, satellites and telescopes into space on a tight budget.

So for those of us waiting for that first time-share condo to become available on Mars, it looks like we’re going to have to wait a little bit longer.