NASA Finds Overseas Ventures More Elusive [U.S. agenda and leadership vacuum]

Wall Street Journal ^ | July 9, 2012 | Andy Pasztor

[Cincinatus' Wife]

The U.S. space program, after five decades of setting the agenda for exploration, appears increasingly stymied when it comes to new cooperative ventures with other countries.

Russia and the European Space Agency, or ESA, are moving to team up on unmanned rovers intended to eventually retrieve soil samples from Mars, even as they seek to entice other nations to join them on potential lunar missions.

......NASA's current leadership, according to space experts on both sides of the Atlantic, seems ineffective in leading or influencing other cross-border initiatives. Buffeted by budget cuts and domestic political pressures, the agency's latest policy and spending priorities emphasize independent rather than cooperative ventures.

The shift is evident "not only on technical issues, but also in the political arena," says Elliot Pulham, chief executive of the Space Foundation, a think tank, education and industry advocacy group based in Colorado Springs, Colo. Traditional U.S. allies "are not seeing us establish the agenda and leadership we once had," Mr. Pulham adds.

NASA's primary manned-exploration goal over roughly the next two decades is to land American astronauts on an asteroid. But the concept hasn't garnered international consensus. For starters, a long-term-exploration road map approved last year by countries partnering on the international space station concluded that returning to the moon is an equally viable and scientifically justifiable destination.

Countries with an interest and expertise in exploiting natural resources have set their sights on first getting to the moon. Other governments are focusing more on exploring asteroids, partly reflecting expertise in remote-sensing technology. So far, the U.S. hasn't been able to bridge that gap.........

[Flintlock]

Verrrrry difficult to launch them there camels into orbit, it seems.
At least you don’t have to water them for a long while.

That’s a plus, anyway.

[mikey_hates_everything]

It’s give and take and the US can’t be trusted to uphold any agreements made. It can always back out due to budget cuts. There’s been no real budget for the last 3 years and when there is, it’s one year at a time—not to mention the screwed up priority list, starting with diversity and LGBT over actual skill levels. Given its performance over the last 10 years, would you partner with NASA, much less the US Government, on a long-term, high-cost, high-risk project?

[hal ogen]

Didn’t nobama and his useless minions make NASA an arm of mooslum “science” or something? I guess the moozlums are too busy killing innocents and each other to participate.

[Cincinatus]

NASA's primary manned-exploration goal over roughly the next two decades is to land American astronauts on an asteroid. But the concept hasn't garnered international consensus. For starters, a long-term-exploration road map approved last year by countries partnering on the international space station concluded that returning to the moon is an equally viable and scientifically justifiable destination. Countries with an interest and expertise in exploiting natural resources have set their sights on first getting to the moon.

This article does not mention one other factor -- the international partners understand that NASA's "asteroid mission" is a fake goal, a smoke-and-mirrors fraud set up by the Obamanoids to convince people that there really is a national space program, when in reality, they intend to destroy it completely. Hence, "commercial" space flight (Solyndra in space) replaces real missions to real destinations.

What's really amazing is how many in the space community have fallen for the Obama line of BS. I guess you tend to believe what you want to believe.

[TYVets]

So far, the U.S. hasn't been able to bridge that gap.........

0bama needs to throw more money at The Muzzies in Space Program?

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Looks like they're cutting the muscle and leaving the fat.

The Buyout/Early Out window will be open through Friday, July 20, 2012. Employees who are approved for the Buyout/Early Out must be off the rolls by October 3, 2012 and may retire/resign as early as August 1, 2012. Eligible employees who voluntarily leave GSFC by no later than October 3, 2012 with an approved buyout will receive an amount equal to their calculated severance pay entitlement, up to a maximum of $25,000. An overview of the Buyouts/Early Outs being offered is as follows:

Distribution of the Center's 117 eligible employees: - # of Eligible Employees

Code 110 Office of Human Capital Management - 6
Code 120 Equal Opportunity Programs Office - 1
Code 150 Office of the Chief Financial Officer - 3
Code 160 Office of Education - 1
Code 200 Management Operations Directorate - 5
Code 300 Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate - 8
Code 400 Flight Projects Directorate - 3
Code 500 Applied Engineering and Technology Directorate - 15
Code 600 Science and Exploration Directorate - 63
Code 700 Information Technology and Communications
Directorate - 5
Code 800 Suborbital and Special Orbital Projects Directorate - 7

NASA GSFC Internal Memo: Buyout/Early Out Announcement

[TYVets]

Looks like they're cutting the muscle and leaving the fat.

2/3's of people in the Buyout/Early Out Program were from 2 of Goddard's most important areas.

You nailed it when you said they were cutting the muscle!

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Cincinatus’ Wife.