The AGU Is Unhappy With NASA
The American Geophysical Union is unhappy with NASA–today they released a statement taking the space agency to task for focusing on pie-in-the-sky human space flight instead of the type of steady earth and space sciences that are the AGU’s bread-and-butter. Says the AGU:
“NASA is being asked to do more than it can with the resources provided. Shifting financial resources from science threatens vital investments and capabilities that have taken decades and tens of billions of tax dollars to build. AGU believes that the nation must capitalize on the extraordinary scientific advances of the last few decades and asks the U.S. Administration, Congress, and NASA to renew their commitment to earth and space science research.”
How much is at stake? The AGU says that NASA’s proposed 2006 budget reduces scientific research by $1.2 billion over the next five years, with the cuts almost equally distributed between earth and space sciences. That’s a lot in anybody’s book, and good science is going to suffer. For what? A program that even the Administration doesn’t seem all that interested in. How many times have you heard President Bush exalt his plans for the moon and Mars, after his initial announcement? Where’s the passion? I don’t see it, and I don’t see any indication that the Administration is aware of the cost to quality science that this “vision” entails.
Deep Dive
Uncategorized
Our best illustrations of 2022
Our artists’ thought-provoking, playful creations bring our stories to life, often saying more with an image than words ever could.
How CRISPR is making farmed animals bigger, stronger, and healthier
These gene-edited fish, pigs, and other animals could soon be on the menu.
The Download: the Saudi sci-fi megacity, and sleeping babies’ brains
10 Breakthrough Technologies 2023
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.