Is Obama's OMB Planning to Cancel NASA's Planetary Exploration Program? (ContributorNetwork)

Recently Robert Zubrin, the head of the Mars Society, published an op-ed in the Washington Times in which he accused the Obama administration's Office of Management and Budget of plotting to terminate planetary science at NASA.

Jim Green, the director of NASA's Planetary Science Division, denied that this was so.

What exactly did Zubrin claim in his article?

Zubrin maintains OMB is developing a plan that would that after the Mars Science Laboratory Curiosity is launched this year and the smaller Maven orbiter is launched in 2013, there will be no more planetary probes launched anywhere. Furthermore, the Kepler space telescope would be turned off in mid mission. Zubrin also mentions the James Webb Space Telescope, which has been targeted for destruction by the House and is undergoing funding problems.

Does Zubrin cite any sources for his allegations?

He does not, which has left him open to criticism and even ridicule. Keith Cowing at NASA Watch demanded that Zubrin show the specific budget documents that show planetary exploration being zeroed out. Cowing notes that the Mars Society is conducting an event with the Planetary Society, "NASA at a Turning Point: Vibrant Future or Close Up Shop?" The event will take place at the Rayburn Building on Capitol Hill on November 3. Cowing implies that Zubrin's statement is a stunt to publicize the event.

Is there a precedent for an entire NASA program suddenly being suddenly terminated?

The most recent example was the cancellation of the Constellation space exploration program, which was revealed to the public, the press, and even most of NASA at the publication of Obama's budget proposal in February, 2010. It is therefore not outside the boundaries of possibility that there is a proposal floating around OMB to zero out future planetary missions, even if it does not make it into the final budget documents for the next fiscal year.

If there is a proposal to cancel future NASA planetary missions, how serious is it?

Given the current budget situation, there are likely a lot of things that are seriously being considered that would ordinarily not be. Space is not a particularly important priority of the Obama administration. NASA's budget has remained largely static as domestic, discretionary spending as exploded in the nearly three years of the Obama administration. While commercial space initiatives are favored by the White House and human space exploration by the Congress, one could see planetary exploration taken a big hit in any budget proposal.

What will the outcome be?

Part of that depends on what Zubrin and the other speakers have to say at the Capitol Hill event next week. If more evidence is presented of a plan to cancel planetary exploration, expect political fireworks.

Mark R. Whittington is the author of Children of Apollo and The Last Moonwalker. He has written on space subjects for a variety of periodicals, including The Houston Chronicle, The Washington Post, USA Today, the L.A. Times and The Weekly Standard.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/space/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111029/us_ac/10317305_is_obamas_omb_planning_to_cancel_nasas_planetary_exploration_program

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