The End of NASA As We Know It --America's Space Decline

[NuclearID]

• Trump cuts put funding at lowest level for a budget since 1961. Yes even adjusting for inflhalt.
• 47% percent cut overall.
• A third of NASA skilled & professional jobs/positions to be lost.
• 18 critical space projects to grind to hault.
• Artemis program set backs.

Beyond sad.

 

[NuclearID]

Trump cutting NASA’s budget by 47% isn’t just shortsighted it’s self sabotage by every letter of the meaning.

Space isn’t some vanity project it’s the next great strategic high ground.

Whoever dominates the Moon, Mars, and resource rich asteroids controls not only exploration, but future energy, rare metals, and even military positioning.

Gutting NASA now is basically handing China the keys to the solar system and saying, "we will settle for second place". History will remember this as the moment America ceded the frontier to China.

 

[Torch]

I love NASA. They were a pioneer into the known unknown back when it took a sovereign power to finance it.

Time moves on. The age of Sail passes, most Calvary Units have IFV or VERTOL’s. Space can be best handled by greedy investors willing to risk their capital. It will be done cheaper, faster and far better by private enterprise.

Until we decide to colonize a location that is financially impossible, NASA must remain to manage programs and regulated space flight beyond the FAA’s ability to manage US atmospheric flights. These oversight activities do not require a monstrous budget.

I try to be consistent. Almost all federal agencies should be stripped or shuttered. Not just the overreaching bloated stagnant bureaucracies that form the US Federal government.

NASA is my favorite and I want it gutted. What I want done to HHS and HUD are probably biologically impossible

 

[NuclearID]

Space can be best handled by greedy investors willing to risk their capital. It will be done cheaper, faster and far better by private enterprise.

No. No it cannot. Not when competing against a state owned enterprise like China.

You do realize SpaceX only launches things into orbit, right? They do not build lunar bases, don’t conduct large scale surveys, and sure as hell aren’t setting up infrastructure on asteroids or Mars. You know who does? NASA. Well I guess not anymore thanks to Trump's cuts.

Thinking private enterprise alone can outpace a sovereign state with near unlimited funding is quite simply delusional. Private businesses can't out compete a government, let a lone a government enterprise such as the CCP.

If this is the path people think America should take outsourcing our future in space to investors we might as well throw in the white flag now. Because at that point, we’re not racing to the Moon or Mars. We’re just preemptively ceding it all to China and saving them the trouble of competing.

Where not even getting into the fact this is a huge national security risk letting Chinese get first pickings on the moon and mars. But hey let's keep burying our heads in the sand and pretend everything is going to be fine.

 

[NuclearID]

Thinking private enterprise alone can outpace a sovereign state with near unlimited funding is quite simply delusional. You should know better than this. Private businesses can't out compete a government, let a lone a government enterprise such as the CCP.

You know Torcher this ties into “China took our jobs” motto. Because private businesses can’t compete with Chinese state enterprises and their unfair tactics by being state enterprises.

 

[NuclearID]

This isn’t about nostalgia for NASA, it’s about national survival in the next frontier.

Abdicating space to private investors is like handing China the keys to the Pacific in 1940 and hoping Wall Street builds the Navy. That’s not strategy it’s PURE fantasy.

 

[Deleted account]

So that would make the promise of a trip to Mars a lie, eh...?

I guess the next spiritual successor to Star Trek is gonna have a Chinese cast.

 

[Spyglass]

I disagree with just about everything here. I think cutting NASA is a brilliant idea. NASA’s innovation rate has waned, and more often than not, SpaceX is proving itself more capable. The private sector will be the majority stakeholder on space-based ventures. NASA should be kept to exploration only, and the private sector should actually exploit space for what it is worth. NASA can’t even get us to the moon anymore. SpaceX can and then some. A Martian mission is a decade away at most. Elon also owns a boring company. Those massive drills will be able to drill out underground structures on the moon and mars, when launched via a starship.

For example, asteroid mining is going to produce trillions. NASA ain’t capable. But the private sector is about to attempt it within the decade. Great time to invest in these companies, before the market cap hits 1T.

This is a forced migration of the talent force into the private sector. What can’t be done within government can now be done within the private sector. Restrictions on ideas and projects because of funding and regulations will be a thing of the past.

 

[NuclearID]

So you want the US private sector which has been struggling against China for decades now due to CCP state tactics to somehow beat China, alone? Especially without government intervention? Seriously? Not sure whether to laugh or pull my hair out.

China isn’t playing “cheaper, faster, better.” They’re playing total dominance. They’ll throw billions at lunar infrastructure, asteroid mining, and Mars bases without worrying about quarterly profits. If America walks away from government backed space power, we’re not just behind we’re permanently sidelined.

Space is the new high ground. You don’t surrender it to corporations and hope for the best. You seize it as a nation, or you lose it as a nation.

 

[Deleted account]

I disagree with just about everything here. I think cutting NASA is a brilliant idea. NASA’s innovation rate has waned, and more often than not, SpaceX is proving itself more capable.

This I actually do agree with. NASA has lost its way and - like all govenment agencies - is suffering from an excess of bureaucracy. However, the idea of a privately run space program that would rival China's government-subsidized competition is a pipe dream.

A Martian mission is a decade away at most.

Absolutely not. Unless you mean a Chinese Martian mission, in which case I'm gonna say "probably not".

For example, asteroid mining is going to produce trillions.

See above.

This is a forced migration of the talent force into the private sector.

What's actually happening in the US is a forced emigration of talent - for tolerably obvious reasons. I would know; I've been involved in scientific research all my life.

This will hurt both NASA and any US-based private space exploration programs.

 

[NuclearID]

However, the idea of a privately run space program that would rival China's government-subsidized competition is a pipe dream.

 

[Torch]

This isn’t about nostalgia for NASA, it’s about national survival in the next frontier.

Abdicating space to private investors is like handing China the keys to the Pacific in 1940 and hoping Wall Street builds the Navy. That’s not strategy it’s PURE fantasy.

No it’s not. America industry can do it better and faster still under NASA’s mission specifications. Government is a bloated bureaucracy filled with mostly lazy incompetents or power hungry little czars. It sucks the life out of everything it touches.

Sorry you disagree. I’m certain that if a Democrat had done it y’all would be cheering.

it’s bloated, risk adverse and incapable of producing projects such a “mars and visit”, “moon and stay”, “mars and stay”

 

[NuclearID]

China wins space. Doesn't matter what I or anyone thinks here now anyways. The cuts have already happened.

Even if the next president tries to undo what Trump did will be hard to replace all the skilled labor that is being laid off and resume all the critical projects in time to beat China.

 

[NuclearID]

I'm sure US corporation will be in space. But renting Chinese lunar land or buying Chinese fuel on the moon. Or buying Chinese resources from/in space.

Its about getting there first and setting permanent roots, claiming lunar land, and most importantly its resources which lay only in very small specific regions on the moon worth a danm to settle on.

Habitable or 'settleable' lunar real estate is extremely limited. Only a few spots really suitable for long term habitation or resource extraction. Whoever gets there and stays there first wins the next 500 years of human history. Plane and simple.

Its the next strategic high ground. And we just gave it to the Chinese on a silver platter. Beyond sad.

 

[Publius]

Oh no mister bill

 

[Torch]

China wins space. Doesn't matter what I or anyone thinks here now anyways. The cuts have already happened.

Even if the next president tries to undo what Trump did will be hard to replace all the skilled labor that is being laid off and resume all the critical projects in time to beat China.

I don’t seem to remember y’all screaming when Obama all but stopped the lunar mission/return to the moon.

Very partisan here IMHO

 

[NuclearID]

Nothing partisan about national security.

 

[NuclearID]

I don’t seem to remember y’all screaming when Obama all but stopped the lunar mission/return to the moon.

Whataboutism. China was not gunning for the moon and to settle there as a strategic high point when Obama was in office. China is now though. But regardless whataboutism won't shy away from the fact that private sector can't out compete a sovereign state such as China.

 

[NuclearID]

fact that private sector can't out compete a sovereign state such as China.

You know this very well. Republican party always says how US companies cannot compete with China or China is taking their jobs. I mean... and you expect somehow a private sector that for decades has struggled against China to somehow all of the sudden beat China it hasn't been able to beat in a long time?

 

[Spyglass]

This I actually do agree with. NASA has lost its way and - like all govenment agencies - is suffering from an excess of bureaucracy. However, the idea of a privately run space program that would rival China's government-subsidized competition is a pipe dream.

NASA ain’t the same NASA. Given the moon landings in the 60’s, and the RAPID advances in tech to do so, we should have been on mars by now. I also disagree here - A private space program could absolutely crush China. They are over a decade behind, they don’t have reusable rocketry yet, hell they can’t build anything on their own without copying it. You can have 4-5 major companies all doing space launches within the next decade if a program was funded and driven properly. We already have Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic, and other companies (including SpaceX) the building blocks are there. Someone has to just hit the gas pedal.

Absolutely not. Unless you mean a Chinese Martian mission, in which case I'm gonna say "probably not".

Lol what on earth makes you think China has the equivalent of Starship right now, testing? Raptor engines? China is wayyyyy behind. A decade from today, A launch to mars is extremely possible right now. Starship is almost ready. It’s the other infrastructure around it. What we need to be doing is heavy lifting supplies and infrastructure and Humanoid Robotics to Mars first, to build things ahead of our arrival, then figure out the manned missions. A humanoid robot that can build something crudely is absolutely a decade away.

China planned to have a lunar research station built by 2025. Unless they gonna get it done in 4 months…. They are over a decade behind us. More funding to SpaceX. $$$

See above.

See above.

What's actually happening in the US is a forced emigration of talent - for tolerably obvious reasons. I would know; I've been involved in scientific research all my life.

This will hurt both NASA and any US-based private space exploration programs.

Obviously it hurts NASA, but they’ve been sucking the federal teet for way too long. Private programs will get a boost from the demand needing to be filled.