I am writing to share my concerns regarding the Bush Administration’s planned “space gap” in U.S. access to space. During this gap – the time between the retirement of the Shuttle in 2010 and the fielding of the next manned space vehicle in 2015 (Constellation) – U.S. taxpayers will be asked to pay the Russians hundreds of millions of dollars to ferry our astronauts and supplies back and forth to the International Space Station (ISS).

NASA administrator, Mike Griffin, calls the situation his “greatest regret and greatest concern.” For most of the five-year gap, he said, “we will be largely dependent on the Russians, and that is terrible place for the United States to be. I’m worried, and many others are worried.”

I’m glad he shares my view that this is an untenable position. But what exactly is the administration doing about it? Very little from what I can tell and the stakes could not be higher. Several thousand layoffs loom as the Shuttle retirement approaches with no replacement vehicle close to being operational, and NASA is about to pen a deal with the Russians placing our space access in the hands of a country that has become more notably hostile to our national interests over the past several years.

The administration has unwisely decided that it can’t afford to build the shuttle replacement while flying the shuttle. And yet this administration has made many significant spending increase decisions over the years, effectively squeezing out this option. Most recently it has agreed to double PEPFAR funding, a program aimed at overseas assistance, from $15 to $30 billion. House Democrats have proposed tripling PEPFAR funding to $50 billion and then try to tell us with a straight face that we can’t afford to continue Shuttle flights. The fact is – they choose not to afford it.

If our current course doesn’t change, China and Russia will have 5 years to continue their quest for space dominance, with the United States space program grounded, unable to even put an astronaut in orbit. For some time I have been calling for swift action to change this situation, and last December I proposed the SPACE Act, H.R. 4837, which eliminates our need for the Russians and closes the gap at both ends by providing for two Shuttle missions per year to resupply the ISS and by speeding up completion of Constellation.

Some have criticized my plan citing the fact they believe the Shuttle is a “flawed” vehicle and must be retired. But if the Shuttle is so inherently dangerous why are we still flying it today? The Shuttle won’t be any more dangerous to fly in 2013 than it is in 2010. The bottom line is – NASA is flying the Shuttle because it is worth the calculated risk. NASA currently recertifies the Shuttle’s safety each time it flies.

Sadly, Congress was set to act on the gap but, Speaker Pelosi dealt two significant blows to NASA - making more challenging our ability to address this problem. In January 2007, Speaker Pelosi shepherded an omnibus bill through the Congress cutting $570 million from the Constellation program. Then late last year House Democrats stripped $1 billion from the Senate approved NASA budget. $1.5 billion would have been a strong down payment toward closing the gap. Pelosi said no.

With the Bush Administration creating this “gap” and the Democrat leaders in Congress preventing solutions to closing the gap, I’m afraid NASA’s “greatest concern” will become real. Unless more public outrage is expressed we will see, I’m afraid, an abrupt and possibly ugly ending to one of America’s most spectacular achievements, the Space Shuttle and the people who make her fly. It’s a legacy that deserves better.

Rep. Weldon’s story also appeared in the Florida Today.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 19th, 2008 at 10:27 am and is filed under Uncategorized .