NASA Budget

In the decades since the Apollo Program was concluded, successive administrations have assigned NASA great and far-reaching goals, only to see Congress fail to provide the agency with sufficient funding to achieve them.  Congress should authorize and appropriate a sufficient amount of funds for NASA to allow it to achieve its stated objectives.

Manned Spaceflight

At the earliest possible date, NASA should return astronauts to the Moon and dispatch a human expedition to Mars, with the long-term goal of establishing a permanent human presence on those two worlds.  Congress should authorize and appropriate the necessary funding to achieve this.

Shuttle Retirement

We believe that the Space Shuttle should be retired as soon as possible in order to free up funding for future missions to the Moon and Mars. After completion of the International Space Station and a final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope, no further Shuttle missions should be flown.

Robotic Exploration

NASA should continue and expand the program of robotic exploration of the Solar System.  Robotic explorations of the Moon and Mars should be geared towards paving the way for human expeditions to those worlds.  Robotic missions to more distant high-priority targets, including Europa and Titan, should also be aggressively undertaken.  Congress should authorize and appropriate the necessary funding to achieve this.

Private Investment in Space

Private industry should be encouraged to invest in the space economy.  The Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program should be continued and expanded.  The tax code should be modified so as to make investments in start-up space transportation companies tax-deductible.  The government should contract with private industry for routine space operations as circumstances allow, allowing market forces to reduce launch costs.

Institute for Advanced Concepts

NASA should fund research in advanced technical concepts, such as space elevators and solar sails.  In 2007, budget pressures forced the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) to close, although its annual budget was only $4 million.  Congress should authorize and appropriate sufficient funding to reopen the NIAC and allow it to continue its research into these long-term projects.

Nuclear Power in Space

In the past, some NASA missions have been controversial because they were powered by radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs), which use plutonium.  Though NASA has ensured that these devices are completely safe, anti-nuclear activists have attempted to prevent the launches of critical missions, most prominently the Cassini mission to Saturn in 1997.  The government should reject the flawed arguments against such missions and ensure that these missions proceed as planned.