Wide Range of Reactions To Bolden's Al Jazeera Interview

This firestorm is pathetic,

Bolden's fighting tooth and nail for the new HSF plan, but instead of fighting the regular "why bother with space" crowd, he's fighting the very same people that are fanning the flames over this interview - the contractors and people that will lose near-term work, and the politicians that are taking advantage, as usual, of their loss.

These are the same people that are against private space and SpaceX. They can no longer claim that SpaceX is junk, and so now they found another axe to grind.

As expected and the reason for the visit. Talk it up!

http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/782
Looking Ahead to the Future of NASA

Retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Charles Frank Bolden
May 10, 2010
Running Time: 59:47

"Bolden's fighting tooth and nail for the new HSF plan"

Then why is he spending valuable time overseas talking to Al Jazeera?

"They can no longer claim that SpaceX is junk"

Actually the claim has been that SpaceX crewed capability is vaporware or unachievable.

Man, this is bad. I've spent a lot of time in the Middle-East. We're not going to ever make any progress as long as we're allied with Israel while still needing millions of barrels of their Oil.

Sending a Yes-Man for the Obama administration cannot possibly make a dent AT ALL. A waste of time and I'm glad the mainstream media picked up on this.

I feel bad for NASA, it really sucks that good, hard working people are getting their LIVELIHOODS taken away by unexperienced President and an unexperienced NASA "Administrator".

This is a nightmare scenario. NASA getting gutted like this? Unbelievable.

By the same token, Whyisthat1, why is the supposedly pro-HSF crowd wasting Bolden's precious time with politically driven crap?

Bolden's time doing this interview has not caused him to neglect his work as NASA's administrator - his biggest problem is not lack of time or multitasking. His largest problem is obstructionism by a fraction of the space community that has regrettably put selfish near-term interests and politics ahead of the larger interest of having a robust space program.

It is disingenuous to wail about how Bolden spends his time or about his perceived priorities when you folks are proving everyday what your priorities are.

As for SpaceX "SpaceX crewed capability is vaporware or unachievable" is the last fall-back position you can still claim... On all the rest you've been proven wrong. Anyone who can look at SpaceX track record with anything but respect, awe, and enthusiasm is blinded by the same political rhetoric that drives the Bolden firestorm.

I exclude from "you folks" those few who are motivated by the "Moon first" vs. "Mars first" debate. With this group I'd love to have an honest and open debate, since we're on the same team.

For the rest of you - the dogs bark, but the caravan still move on.

@Crazy Eddie Blogger

"his biggest problem is not lack of time or multitasking. His largest problem is obstructionism by a fraction of the space community that has regrettably put selfish near-term interests and politics ahead of the larger interest of having a robust space program."

I have to respond. I am one of those "obstructionists" that you are complaining about. I do not work in the Human Space Flight Program anymore nor do I get to gain anything personal if Constellation is restored and Obama/Bolden are stopped from gutting our HSF. My country and your country gains if this so called "plan" of Obama's is stopped before it takes root.

The Moon is the logical first step to learning to live off world. And we can do it. What Obama is proposing and Bolden is trying to carry out is the wholesale destruction of America's capability to conduct HSF after 52 years. This is what we are fighting, not some perceived self interest that you somehow concluded. Do you think I would spend my precious hours reading, researching, and writing if I didn't care about our HSF program?

You are more than welcome to start your own blog as Keith and I have done instead of sitting here throwing hit and run bombs at the rest of us.

A small question. Perhaps trivial...

Has there been any positive reactions yet from the voices of the Muslim communities in these nations?

I'm still here, which means that I am not running.

You're repeating the phrase "wholesale destruction of America's capability to conduct HSF" but you're not justifying it.

ISRU on Mars is not for robots you know. Neither are inflatable re-entry shields and electrical propulsion - they are all for humans.

While I don't think the moon is the next logical target, I don't go around saying that the people advocating are in aiming for the "wholesale destruction of America's capability to conduct HSF".

"Yet again, an Obama official says "Muslim," right-wing media freak-out follows"

Way to ignore the issue. Mute.

I stand by my words and what I feel Obama's goal is towards our HSF.

At least I bothered to break down and analyse his speech and there is nothing there to speak of. He is trying to kill our HSF and if you think that "promise" of a 5 year budget increase is real, forget it. After the 2012 election, you can kiss all that funding goodbye.

Spacester -- calm down, breathe deeply, stop panicking.

NASA isn't being gutted. The HSF part of its mission is being redefined -- leaning more on commercially developed launch vehicles and releasing the government monopoly. It's the transition to the Commercial Aviation model for spaceflight.

Recall that STS was canceled by Bush and Griffin, not Obama and Bolden. The fact that it's happening on Obama's watch, just after a policy redirection, has triggered disingenuous blamestorming from many opponents -- i.e. consciously misleading or openly lying. The fact is, those who worked on STS but didn't have a role on CxP are legitimate victims of Bush's policy shift -- not Obama's. But they've also had 4+ years to come up with a new plan.

A brief visit by Bolden to a couple of Muslim nations will not bring fruit -- *of course* (cessna). Neither will a dozen visits by Richard Holbrooke or anyone else from State. But a consistent pattern of engagement, spanning several years, from several angles, for common positive ends -- like space -- is the only way to earn the trust and/or cooperation of those governments and thaw the frigid environment established by Bush's saber-rattling unilateralism. Let's hope we never hear the word "crusade" leveled at us again.

So this furor about inviting Muslim nations to join us is a tempest in a teapot -- shallow water coming to a boil quickly. Suppose he'd been visiting Eastern Europe or Brazil instead? What's the difference?

He is trying to kill our HSF and if you think that "promise" of a 5 year budget increase is real, forget it.

Our poor rocketman. There are many places in the world to launch humans into space.

Can you please explain who is "OUR"

Crazy Eddie, you say " This firestorm is pathetic."

Is it the firestorm that is pathetic, or is it the person who makes such sweeping blanket statements, such as, "These are the same people who are against private space and SpaceX. They can no longer claim that SpaceX is junk and so now they found another axe to grind." You did amend that later to not include moon first people. I am NOT a moon first supporter.

You can look back at my blogs, I have been consistently supportive of Private/commercial space and think of myself as one of SpaceX's most ardent supporters. I have also supported Obama's positions of advancing commercial space and ending unaffordable programs, such as Ares.

America's premier space agency is in tremendous turmoil and is continuing to spend millions and millions of dollars on projects that will very likely be discontinued next year. I feel very strongly that as NASA's administrator, Charles Bolden's first priority should be getting NASA running again on a clear course, not playing diplomat on the other side of the world.

Come next year the shuttle will be ending and with it America's ability to access the ISS and LEO. That is without buying rides from foreign countries, at ever increasing prices. In my opinion, Bolden should also be in the USA right now, making a case for and pushing funding for COTS D, among other things. America needs its own human access to space. You might think that Bolden's foreign trips don't distract from is responsibilities at home, but I disagree.

Don't include me or others like me in your blanket statements.

"Who is "our?" Why These United States of America HSF. What? Did you think I was talking about Russia or China?

Papa, your muddying the waters. This is not about the shuttle ending. We all know Bush did that and personally I am at peace with it. The issue is Obama canceling Constellation and the only replacement program for our HSF. This is NOT about the shuttle and everything about our HSF.

"Who is "our?" Why These United States of America HSF. What? Did you think I was talking about Russia or China?
Oh OK
You must mean:
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/nasatv/spaceconf.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Review_of_United_States_Human_Space_Flight_Plans_Committee
Future of the U.S. Program

The review aims to "examine ongoing and planned National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) development activities, as well as potential alternatives, and present options for advancing a safe, innovative, affordable, and sustainable human space flight program in the years following Space Shuttle retirement". The panel will "work closely with NASA and will seek input" from the United States Congress, "the White House, the public, industry, and international partners as it develops its options". "It is to present its results in time to support an Administration decision on the way forward by August 2009."

On April 15, 2010, President Obama spoke at the Kennedy Space Center announcing the administration's plans for NASA. None of the 3 plans outlined in the Committees final report were completely selected. The President rejected immediate plans to return to the Moon on the premise that the current plan had become nonviable. He instead promised $6 billion in additional funding and called for development of a new heavy lift rocket program to be ready for construction by 2015 with manned missions to Mars orbit by the mid-2030's.

The issue is Obama canceling Constellation and the only replacement program for our HSF. Ahh no Constellation is doing a fine job of canceling itself with its "OUR" effort thinking which is it not!