Boeing Executive Warns More Space Funding is Needed

Jim Albaugh, Head of Boeing's* defense business, warned that the United States will loose it's edge in Space to India and China unless the government gives more funding and leadership to the space program. Boeing is located in almost every state, so find out where they are located near you and visit your congressional representative to personally deliver Jim Albaugh's message along with your personal feelings and why space exploration funding matters to you and your state.

Boeing has developed and built that Space station, the Space Shuttle, and is developing the upper stage of the Ares 1 rocket. It has also won a study contract for the lunar lander and will compete for the full contract for the lunar lander as well as Ares V components. It is currently considering perusing further COTS work for the 2010 time frame.

*The Author of this post works for Boeing

NASA and India's ISRO to Collaborate on Human Spaceflight

NASA has announced that it has signed an agreement with India's space agency "establishing the terms for future cooperation between the two agencies in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes." Later they state that the "two agencies will identify areas of mutual interest and seek to develop cooperative programs or projects in . . . human space flight," among other things.

This is a great way to make NASAs dollar go further. Collaboration with India's maturing space agency will open new possibilities with what NASA can accomplish with their budget. Contact the presidential candidates and your legislators and tell them that NASA can have ambitious goals and international collaboration will allow for those goals to be reached affordably while promoting world peace.