Obama and Nasa

This week is feeling a little serious.  I'm not feeling serious, but the topics I plan to blog on seem a little serious.  I say this so that you can get in the right mind set as you continue to visit The Gift and The Goods.

Today I'd like to discuss Obama's plan to privatize space travel and reduce funding for NASA.

First, a disclaimer:  My brother works as a contractor for NASA so it is undoubtedly a little nearer and dearer to me, but all that I am going to say below are my true feelings, biased as they may be.  I welcome the thoughts of all my readers.

Now, if you haven't heard, read this..  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obama_space
In a nutshell, Obama is calling for private companies to take on the role of NASA in continuing space exploration.  This will lower the financial burden of the government which currently subsidizes NASA.

While I agree that the economy stinks and it seems ill-advised to spend money on space exploration while those in this country continue through rough times, that is also very near-sighted view.  Without making this post too long, and risk making it unbearable to read, here are my questions.

- If we privatize space, what happens to the safety protocols of the private rockets, the astronauts and those that live near launch/landing sites?  Who is going to regulate this new industry that Obama is creating?  If this regulatory board is government run (like the SEC) that still costs money, correct?

- When I watched 'The Astronaut Farmer' (good movie by the way) there were major concerns about a private citizen buying mass quantities of rocket fuel. Who will monitor these things? If the FBI and other government agencies need to handle this, what is the cost there?  At what point is NASA actually the cheaper way to go?

- Isn't building rockets to launch into space just one step away from building missiles and bombs?  Why would we allow private citizens the freedom to explore this?  Again, how do we regulate?  How do we keep these new 'scientists' from blowing themselves up?  How do we keep sensitive information out of the hands of terrorists or from being sold to hostile foreign countries?

- What will this do to the economies of current NASA towns like Houston, and Cape Canaveral (spelling?)?  Will they have similar depressions such as mining towns did way back when? 

- Many people think of NASA strictly in terms of space, and that is probably valid, but NASA has given us, everyday, ordinary people many important products - 10 Examples Here.  Would private industry give us these?  Maybe.  Probably.  But, at what cost?

- If a private company is the first to reach a new planet and that planet happens to be inhabitable and that private company begins developing the new planet, who has control of the new planet?  The private entity?  Allowing a private company/citizen to 'own' a new planet is VERY risky business.  Especially as this one continues to decay.

- Is privatizing space exploration the first step towards privatizing the military? 

- April 24th, 2010 marked the 20th anniversary of the Hubble Telescope being launched into space.  That was pretty important.  Will private companies send up satellites on behalf of the government? Would they charge the government for pictures/data collected?   If the satellites catch an issues (asteroid, etc.) will the know how to handle it?
I know some of my readers are huge opponents of big government, and that is fine, but this is not healthcare.  This is a very dangerous (as in physical/actual danger) industry.  It must be regulated for the safety of not only those involved, but anyone within proximity of a private facility.