Science Fiction fans and other major advocates of space exploration were up in arms this week when the Obama budget was revealed cutting NASA’s budget for the Constellation program and the Ares rocket.  (“Obama Aims to Ax Moon Mission” in The Orlando Sentinel January 27, 2010, by Robert Block and Mark Matthews)

After spinning the recent Star Trek movie to his advantage and promising to take America “Where no one has gone before,” Obama once again appears to have reneged on a promise.

As a science geek myself, I cold not help but feel a little hurt too.  But at least I expected Obama to be a disappointment.  For those originally enamored with the Messianic message of the freshman senator from Illinois, any shortcomings are traumatic.

On further examination, however it is interesting to note that Obama’s budget for NASA actually increases it by around one billion dollars.

All this leaves my libertarian heart split.  Part of me looks at NASA and realizes the utter waste that is going on in the program.  NASA Scientists actually credited budget cuts for the success of the last Mars lander!  Previous projects had tried to use complex rocketry to soften landings on the planet and resulted in many destroyed landing craft.  The forced simplicity caused the scientists to have to think creatively and resulted in actual solutions to the complexity of landing on the red planet.

But a bigger part of me realizes that government has always taken an interest in the exploration and expansion of its territory.  From Columbus to Lewis & Clark on through the 1960’s government has been right there along side private industry taking the initiative to explore uncharted territory.  It has historically proved to be successful.

We explore new territories and venture out past  our borders not only because of possible economic benefits but also because it is human nature.

Humans will always want to Boldly Go and that is what drives us.  Success in business, success in love, success in exploration and adventure!  Without these mankind stagnates.

Aside from the national security advantages to space superiority, there is a sense of pride and accomplishment that makes mankind want to go further.

“We choose to go to the moon and do the other things in this decade, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”

Thanks JFK – a democrat whose policies and outlook were more conservative than many republicans of the 20th century.

On the private side there is already a man pursuing first space and then the moon!

British entrepreneur and look alike to yours-truly, Richard Branson, has his heart set on space.  And on making money from space transit.

This man is really doing it!  He has commercialized space and is in the first stages of mounting pay-per-flight space explorations!  I bow to his greatness.

Here’s where my conflict comes in.  While I think for national security reasons, for national pride reasons, hell! for reasons of human nature and hope for a brighter tomorrow, NASA must continue to be funded, I cannot help but wonder what NASA’s role should be and what should NASA be allowing entrepreneurs to do instead?

The space shuttle was a horrible product.  It was the El Camino of space travel – passenger vehicle/cargo hauler that instead of doing either really well did both . . . . okay. . . . at best.  Only government can tolerate “Okay,” entrepreneurs know that to succeed on the market they must be exceptional.  Branson is about to launch one of the most pioneering commercial endeavors of all time and I just hope government regulators will get out of his way and let him take man into spac.

I’m not saying we don’t need NASA. . . . quite the contrary.  We need both a strong National Aeronautics and Space Administration and a strong commercial space fleet!

If mankind is to flourish it must continue to explore and adventure.  Whether to the depths of the sea or to the far reaches of the universe.

The message – we cannot cut funding for explorations to pay for “projects and needs at home” because it is those very explorations that give us hope and vision for our homes.  But government is not the only answer.  Commercial endeavors are the final and most lasting solution.  But commercial industry flourishes best in an environment protected from criminal threats.  NASA must continue to be funded as a national security priority and support must be given to those with the vision to finance private missions.

Why does a man want to go to the moon?  For the same reason he wants to climb a mountain – Because it’s there.