[FPSPACE] Can we be honest here?

[E.P. Grondine]

Hi all - 

Now that the Augustine commission is in gear, we've seen a spate of articles on the prospects before our nation. 

While I am hesitant to criticize the performance of the executive, given the difficulties of the job and my own stroke damage, my summary must be succinct: Bush Jr. left the US space program in the about same shape he left the US economy and US foreign ties.

As I predicted, issues other than space occupied Obama in his first days in office: in summary, I suppose his main concerns were the economy and the mideast. 

On the first, Obama is still moving on US energy policy and reducing US reliance on oil. He is working to stabilize construction employment while doing so, the weatherization of buildings efforts will be critical to this by this fall, along with the improvements to the electricity distribution grid.

On the fiscal side of things, reforming health care delivery costs comes high.

In the mideast, the priorities were first keeping the Taliban away from Pakistan's nuclear arsenal; second, putting the Israel and its neighbors on the course to peace. 

As far as ABM negotiations with Russia go, it should be noted that Russian transit permissions to Afghanistan for the anti-Taliban efforts are a really positive sign of improved US-Russia ties.

I expect that ISS use will be continued to 2020, and that if relations with China remain good, for China to enter ISS sometime in the 2015-2020 period.

This likely means that the Moon will be done on an international basis sometime in the 2020-2025 period.

For launch systems, I am rooting for Jupiter, as I think it is the best option. Augustine has announced that the committee will deliver a report with the pluses and minuses of each option. 

The other key report coming in will be the NASA IG's report on Griffin's contempt for Congress in his failure to comply with the instructions of the George Brown Jr amendment.



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