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RNC: McCain's Team Fired Up for Space Exploration
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Space Shuttle Discovery lifts off/NASA
Despite the soap opera and smears revolving around GOP vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin, Bristol Palin and Levi Johnson, serious work has been done on the official Republican stand on America's space program. The short version?
Unlike the flip-flopping Democratic contender Barack Obama, McCain has been steadfast in his support of space. Recently, McCain,and Senators Kay Bailey of Texas (briefly rumored as a VP candidate) and David Vitter of Lousiana asked the White House to hold off dismantling the Space Shuttle program for at least a year.
The coalition asked President George W. Bush to, at a minimum, "....direct NASA to take no action for at least one year that would preclude the extended use of the Space Shuttle beyond 2010", the program's current phase-out date. Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama has now joined them in the call to champion continued space access.
Citing Russian incursions into Georgia, McCain was vehement that the U.S. not be caught having to rely on Russia for hitch-hiking rides to the International Space Station (ISS). The official party platform follows McCain's lead, noting that "innovation is our future."
The platform continues: " As a symbol of that commitment, we share the vision of returning Americans to the moon as a step toward a mission to Mars. In advancing our country’s space and aeronautics program, NASA will remain one of the world’s most important pioneers in technology, and from its explorations can come tremendous benefits for mankind."
In consistently supporting the Space Shuttle, its successor, the ISS, and missions to the moon and Mars, the GOP seems to be planting its flag as firmly on space as Apollo astronauts did on the moon. Here's the bullet points from McCain's earlier space policy:
- Ensure that space exploration is top priority and that the U.S. remains a leader;
- Commit to funding the NASA Constellation program to ensure it has the resources it needs to begin a new era of human space exploration.
- Review and explore all options to ensure U.S. access to space by minimizing the gap between the termination of the Space Shuttle and the availability of its replacement vehicle;
- Ensure the national space workforce is maintained and fully utilized; Complete construction of the ISS National Laboratory;
- Seek to maximize the research capability and commercialization possibilities of the ISS National Laboratory;
- Maintain infrastructure investments in Earth-monitoring satellites and support systems;
- Seek to maintain the nation's space infrastructure;
- Prevent wasteful earmarks from diverting precious resources from critical scientific research;
- and Ensure adequate investments in aeronautics research.
Will McCain directly address space as he takes center stage at the RNC tonight? Although I have received time-embargoed copies of some RNC speeches, this one is still under wraps.
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