They embrace that as a part of the identity of our culture itself. It’s the shift in attitude that it brings upon our culture, where people then see and feel the role that innovations in science and technology play in their lives. But I would argue that that’s not even the greatest value of NASA. In fact, NASA puts out a book called Spin Offs, which is a complete discussion of all the fundamental patents and discoveries that became commercial products in the year preceding. That would go on, with direct reference to space achievements. In other words, yes, of course you have to innovate to discover something tomorrow that you didn’t know today – some new idea has to arise, some new solution to a problem. Not only innovations that come directly from solving the challenges of advancing a space frontier, but also the culture and society that arises from being a participant in that frontier. And how the history of that money has revealed itself in our economy.Īnd the return on the investment comes in the form of innovation and technological advancement? Neil deGrasse Tyson: I think many people don’t think of it that way, but that’s certainly how I see it. government can't ignore.Ĭhris Barth: You’ve noted that NASA’s budget isn’t as much an expenditure as an investment. * research into rotocraft technology, such as helicopters.Last week I had the chance to talk with Tyson about why he thinks space exploration is a necessary economic driver, and why funding NASA is an investment the U.S. “The president has made very clear that he wants NASA to live within its budget” Goldin said.Įven then, however, Creedon said Langley will continue to play a major role as NASA moves into the civil field.Īt Langley, projects that would be cut by the proposed NASA budget include:
#Nasa daily budget upgrade#
NASA also hopes to upgrade its fleet of space shuttles, the oldest of which is about 20 years old.īut with all the plans comes a promise, Goldin said. The Langley center is already involved in at least three of the planned 60 missions. NASA Langley will help develop one of those centers.Īnd as always, NASA will continue its space exploration efforts, with 60 missions in the proposed budget. They would help students understand more about science and engineering by teaming them with NASA staff. NASA Langley has been instrumental in developing the new, bird-like aircraft.Īnother of NASA’s major focuses will be on education, Goldin said.įive university-based centers are proposed in the budget. This lessens drag and helps stabilize the machine.
The program would receive $4.5 billion over the next five years.Īnother major focus will be civil aeronautics, as the agency looks at ways to improve airplane performance and safety, Goldin said.įunding for programs dealing with systems to counter airline delays, for example, increased from $68.4 million in 2001 to a proposed $100.6 million for 2002.Īnother focus is airplane innovations, such as a craft that mimics the way a bird flies by warping its wings during flight. The futuristic vehicles would serve as successors to the space shuttle, potentially reducing the cost of space transport. Langley has provided research on the initiative, such as work on testing its airframe. Research would include the Space Launch Initiative, a year-old project aimed at using aeronautics technology to develop new vehicles for space exploration. Several programs were ended, including missions to Pluto and a probe to study the sun, as well as a Space Infrared Telescope.īut some of those savings were poured into increased funding for what NASA calls “aerospace focused program.”
“We made some hard decisions up front not to fund some programs and to robustly fund others,” Goldin said. The proposed 2002 budget sticks to the call for project pruning, with $550 million in initiatives going under. That sort of language caused concern for Langley, which has been threatened with budget cuts before as Congress adhered to spending limits imposed by the 1997 balanced budget agreement.
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