NASA, We Hardly Knew Ye

Today I rejoice. It's been a long time coming, but the powers that be have finally killed off the Space Program!

Kudos!

That bloated monstrosity that cost so much and gave so little over the years ---a holdover from Kennedy's vision of America that fostered the innovations that made us world leaders in science and technology---can finally be consigned to the trash heap of history. Of course, it doesn't LOOK like that from the outset, but it will happen, rest assured. One only has to glance at the budget to witness the inevitable, a death from a thousand cuts.

The NASA website states that the new budget will -

". . .spark American innovation and enable us to explore new worlds, develop more innovative technologies, foster new industries, and increase our understanding of the Earth and our universe. NASA will pursue a more affordable and sustainable approach to spaceflight through the development of game changing, next-generation technologies and systems."

Most of the money earmarked for commercial lift and, possibly, human spaceflight from private companies. Isn't that neat? NASA is putting its faith in private companies that will never raise their costs in an attempt to screw the American Taxpayer. Hopefully all of this "innovation" will create thousands of new jobs---that is, after they've finished slashing a few thousand other jobs.

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The manned spaceflight will be replaced and gobs of cash will pour into the following:

1.) roughly 7 billion to find "new and novel" approaches to spaceflight.

Makes sense to me: figure out how to propel spaceships we aint sendin' up. Instead, the budget should read: "engineers will play with themselves for a few years"

2.) 3 billion for more rovers

Genius. Who needs people?

3.) 2 billion for a new climate monitoring satellite

Neat! Lets check out all of the methane produced by Washington as it continues to talk out of its ass!

4.) billions for "green aviation"

Nice. R&D subsidies for the airline makers. Are they going to help us figure out how to deal with the morons in the TSA?

5.) billions for inspiring the "leaders of tomorrow"!

AWESOME!. . . and how do we do that exactly, without astronauts?