Bloomberg: Obama to Create NASA-Pentagon Link

The longstanding barriers between the military and America’s civilian space program may fall under an Obama administration, according to a Bloomberg report.

The idea is this:

The Chinese are making great strides in manned spaceflight. They may get to the moon before Americans can return. This alone wouldn’t mean much, but would suggest that the Chinese have matched us in space capabilities. By using existing military hardware—and adapting it for manned travel—we could get back to the moon sooner.

Meet the new Space Race, Same as the Old Space Race

Familiar territory. We went to the moon the first time to beat the Russians. Now, we may go again to beat the Chinese. We always seem to fail to recognize that doing difficult things and pushing the envelope is the best reason to do such things.

Of course, a news report on what an incoming administration might do isn’t solid information. But I hope we don’t try this approach. People should go into space on crafts that are designed to carry people. Spaceflight is dangerous enough when you do it right. When you try silly shortcuts, you are courting unnecessary danger.

Keep the Space Program A Civilian Program

Furthermore, mixing NASA with the Pentagon, as this reports suggests will happen, would be poisoning the well. NASA has it’s shortcomings, but it would lose its purpose if it become another arm of the military. The military can provide support—for example, recovery ships for landed spacecraft. But military management in a civilian program is just plain wrong.

I’m hoping that either the shuttle lifespan can be extended while the new Constellation hardware is being developed. Or that another alternative to put people into space, such as the private rockets of SpaceX, can be tested and used.