Big Changes In Proposed U.S. Space Budget

Guppy06 writes: "CNN has this article on some of the effects of Bush's budget proposal would have on the space program. To make a long story short, funding for the manned space program is being trimmed (there's talk about outsourcing the shuttle program) and some high-profile missions to the outer solar system have been cut (say good-bye to the Pluto-Kuiper Express). On the flip side, nuclear propulsion research is getting a boost. Love it, hate it, some big things seem to be in store." The Planetary Society has their reaction to the budget proposal. And because it's been submitted several times: the ISS suffered a computer outage but all is well now.

hmm..

[AA0]

While many of the "techie" areas seem to have been cut the plus side is the kegger budget has been boosted by 450%, enabling astronaughts to get wasted almost any day of the week, this seems much cheaper than flying anywhere to me.

This should prove to be as successful

[Aexia]

as privatizing airport security.

Makes sense to me

[rbgaynor]

Makes sense to me. If you're not going to allow anyone with a history of drinking, lying, or cheating [Slashdot [slashdot.org]] to fly you don't need a big budget for manned spaceflight.

Re:Sound like Bush

[Anonymous Coward]

you make "fake" waste by doing it on purpose.
If it comes out of power plant its waste and can not be used for research.
If its an intentional product out of a reactor, then it can be used for research. So you make something that has the same properties as a power plants waste and then you can use it for research on how to re-refine it. Its just as radioactive and just as dangerous as the real waste but thanks to stupid laws there is no way to do research on the stuff out of a typical nuke plant.

Re:Trimmed?

[mlsemon2]

I always wondered how third-world nations would repay their loans. Now, I know the answer. The military is our future...

GWB: Mr. President, have our money yet?

President of Argentina: I swear, it's in the mail.

GWB: I don't believe you. Mugsy, can you see that our friend's kneecaps are OK?

Donald Rumsfeld: OK, Boss! [pulls out baseball bat] *thwack!* *thwack-thump-thwack!* *thwack!* Yah, boss, de're fine! Good kneecaps!

Re:Trimmed?

[Anonymous Coward]

NASA's entire budget is somewhere less than $12 billion. The defense department on the other hand is near or over $400 billion. They spend more on toilets and condoms for servicemen than NASA spends on shuttle launches. How about we trim our massive bloated military and get out of these countries that hate us? Pour more money into R&D for efficient fuels to replace oil and give the arabs a big old "fuck you" sign by completely pulling out of the region and banning all imports of foreign oil. They're not going to be driving around in Mercedes for very long when the US and European money stops pouring in... eventually they'll go back to realizing that they live in the middle of a barren fucking desert sitting on top of a huge stockpile of worthless fossil fuel that no one wants anymore. It might as well be dog shit.