Replies

These "pioneers" will be feeding at the public trough.

Real pioneers Armstrong and Cernan have been vocal critics of the push to commercialize space. The spaceflyers both testified before Congress to protest against government reliance on private space vehicles, saying that the commercialization of space could threaten America's dominance in space exploration.

Testifying before Congress, Armstrong went as far as to call the nation's current space efforts "embarrassing and unacceptable," according to The Register. Armstrong, who became the first person to set foot on the moon in 1969, went on to detail NASA's dismal future, going as far as to say that without the ability to lead manned missions to space, the U.S. risks losing its leadership position in exploration.

"Our choices are to lead, to try to keep up, or to get out of the way. A lead, however earnestly and expensively won, once lost, is nearly impossible to regain," Armstrong said in the testimony.

Armstrong wasn't the only one who testified in this manner either. Fellow astronaut Eugene Cernan also expressed his concern at the hearing according to The Register, simply saying, "Today we are on a path of decay."

'Testifying before Congress, Armstrong went as far as to call the nation's current space efforts "embarrassing and unacceptable"'

What is "embarrassing and unacceptable" is NASA's "vision" of the next heavy-lift rocket system. Solid boosters have never been a good idea for non-military spacecraft.

I think the idea of NASA looking at the more bleeding-edge areas while commercial companies pursue well understood engineering is a good one. At least until NASA can be transformed into an innovative and efficient organization.

What is really needed is a vision for nuclear powered space travel, but that will have to wait for a sane administration.