Neil Armstrong criticizes Obama space plan

The United States entered into the challenge of space
exploration under President Eisenhower’s first term, however, it was the
Soviet Union who excelled in those early years.  Under the bold vision
of Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon, and with the overwhelming
approval of the American people, we rapidly closed the gap in the final
third; of the 20th century, and became the world leader in space
exploration.

America’s space accomplishments earned the respect
and admiration of the world. Science probes were unlocking the secrets
of the cosmos; space technology was providing instantaneous world wide
communication; orbital sentinels were helping man understand the
vagaries of nature.  Above all else, the people around the world were
inspired by the human exploration of space and the expanding of man’s
frontier.   It suggested that what had been thought to be impossible was
now within reach.  Students were inspired to prepare themselves to be a
part of this new age.  No government program in modern history has been
so effective in motivating the young to do “what has never been done
before.”

 World leadership in space was not achieved easily.   In
the first half century of the space age, our country made a significant
financial investment, thousands of Americans dedicated themselves to
the effort, and some gave their lives to achieve the dream of a nation. 
In the latter part of the first half century of the space age,
Americans and their international partners focused primarily on
exploiting the near frontiers of space with the Space Shuttle and the
International Space Station.

As a result of the tragic
loss of the Space Shuttle Columbia in 2003, it was concluded that our
space policy required a new strategic vision. Extensive studies and
analysis led to this new mandate: meet our existing commitments, return
to our exploration roots, return to the moon, and prepare to venture
further outward to the asteroids and to Mars.  The program was named
‘Constellation’.   In the ensuing years, this plan was endorsed by two
Presidents of different parties and approved by both Democratic and
Republican congresses.

 The Columbia Accident Board had given
NASA a number of recommendations fundamental to the Constellation
architecture which were duly incorporated.  The Ares rocket family was
patterned after the Von Braun Modular concept so essential to the
success of the Saturn 1B and the Saturn 5.   A number of components in
the Ares 1 rocket would become the foundation of the very large heavy
lift Ares V, thus reducing the total development costs substantially. 
After the Ares 1 becomes operational, the only major new components
necessary for the Ares V would be the larger propellant tanks to support
the heavy lift requirements. 

The design and the production of
the flight components and infrastructure to implement this vision was
well underway.  Detailed planning of all the major sectors of the
program had begun.  Enthusiasm within NASA and throughout the country
was very high.

 When President Obama recently released his budget
for NASA, he proposed a slight increase in total funding, substantial
research and technology development, an extension of the International
Space Station operation until 2020, long range planning for a new but
undefined heavy lift rocket and significant funding for the development
of commercial access to low earth orbit.

Although some of these
proposals have merit, the accompanying decision to cancel the
Constellation program, its Ares 1 and Ares V rockets, and the Orion
spacecraft, is devastating.

 America’s only path to low Earth
orbit and the International Space Station will now be subject to an
agreement with Russia to purchase space on their Soyuz  (at a price of
over 50 million dollars per seat with significant increases expected in
the near future) until we have the capacity to provide transportation
for ourselves.  The availability of a commercial transport to orbit as
envisioned in the President’s proposal cannot be predicted with any
certainty, but is likely to take substantially longer and be more
expensive than we would hope.  

It appears that we will have
wasted our current ten plus billion dollar investment in Constellation
and, equally importantly, we will have lost the many years required to
recreate the equivalent of what we will have discarded.

 For The
United States, the leading space faring nation for nearly half a
century, to be without carriage to low Earth orbit and with no human
exploration capability to go beyond Earth orbit for an indeterminate
time into the future, destines our nation to become one of second or
even third rate stature.  While the President’s plan envisages humans
traveling away from Earth and perhaps toward Mars at some time in the
future, the lack of developed rockets and spacecraft will assure that
ability will not be available for many years.

Without the
skill and experience that actual spacecraft operation provides, the USA
is far too likely to be on a long downhill slide to mediocrity.  America
must decide if it wishes to remain a leader in space.   If it does, we
should institute a program which will give us the very best chance of
achieving that goal.

Neil Armstrong
Commander, Apollo 11

James
Lovell
Commander, Apollo 13

Eugene Cernan
Commander,
Apollo 17

(Cross-posed from the Briefing Room)