No bucks, no Buck Rogers.

What’s the future of NASA?

The Augustine commission will come out with some proposals, a variety of ideas. But NASA has funding for none of them.

An idea: Manned missions to Venus (shown) and asteroids—without landing.

One cost-cutting idea that still allows for significant gains in manned space travel suggests missions to Venus and asteroids—without landing. Not a bad idea. Landings require development and testing of additional very expensive spacecraft.

There’s also talk of extending the life of the International Space Station (currently slated for oblivion just a few years after completion.) And, of course, keeping the Shuttle flying well beyond its planned retirement next year.

What the commission should say

What’s the point of this commission? To develop a report that gets completely ignored. Or, worse still, to move NASA in a direction to do things that won’t be funded?

The two Bush administrations recommended a return to the moon, to be followed by manned missions to Mars. None of these plans were funded.

If you don’t fund things, that means you don’t want to do them. NASA and the commission should say: “Give us a budget first; then we’ll tell you what we can do.” Then, we can tell them: “with that kind of funding you can’t have a first-rate space program.” Tell it straight.

What will happen

The commission will offer a number of options. Either the government will select the cheapest, least interesting option. Or it will choose an exciting option and provide insufficient funds. Even the humble plan will be underfunded.

That’s why I say that the commission shouldn’t give options. It should ask for a budget. Otherwise, it’s just an empty exercise. We’ve been through that before.