Putting NASA in bed with the Pentagon
Posted by John McHale
A recent Bloomberg news story reported that the incoming Obama administration is looking to have NASA programs linked with the military to get them in orbit more quickly to compete with China and to counter any Chinese military operations in space.
On its face it sounds like a good plan. It would save money by sharing the costs of the various programs. According to the Bloomberg article, the Pentagon spent more on space -- about $22 billion -- last year than NASA did.
Culturally however it may be a tougher sell. NASA has traditionally been a civilian agency focused on the peaceful exploration of space and furthering human knowledge. The public and many inside the agency might be quite uncomfortable about sharing with the Pentagon.
Public opinion might change if China successfully lands humans on the Moon before the U.S. returns. NASA is planning a manned lunar exploration in 2020.
Could we see the planet's major powers carve up the Moon? Today there are no national boundaries on lunar maps. I hope it remains that way.
John Keller is editor-in-chief of Military & Aerospace Electronics magazine, which provides extensive coverage and analysis of enabling electronic and optoelectronic technologies in military, space, and commercial aviation applications. A member of the Military & Aerospace Electronics staff since the magazine's founding in 1989, Mr. Keller took over as chief editor in 1995.
