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Planetary Society Asks Congress to Reconsider Human Space Exploration Plan

 Current Bills Lack Coherence and Have Serious Omissions

August 19, 2010

The Planetary Society has sent a letter to the Chairs and Ranking Minority Members of the four subcommittees currently considering the NASA budget and the Administration’s plan for human space exploration.  The letter states: “We are concerned about omissions and a lack of coherence in the four committees’ versions of this bill.”

Download the complete letter (PDF).

The Society details a number of the problems in the bills, including the vagueness about replacing the Space Shuttle and setting goals for human space flight.  “The bills reject the President’s new plan, as well as the old Constellation plan, and instead come up with a patchwork of proposals,” stated Louis Friedman, Executive Director of The Planetary Society.  The letter is signed by him, together with incoming Executive Director, Bill Nye, and the Planetary Society’s President, Jim Bell, and Vice-President, Heidi Hammel.  

The letter (PDF) concludes by asking the Senators and Representatives to step back from each of the Congressional bills that have been passed by the Authorization and Appropriations Committees and refocus on the whole.