Obama says NASA needs a technological breakthrough (Obama wants to land on an asteroid)
MSNBC ^ | 7/7/2011 | msnbc
Answering a question in a Twitter town hall meeting Thursday, President Obama suggested spaceflight is stuck in the Apollo-era mode and said NASA needs a technological breakthrough to allow faster, longer spaceflight with a goal of getting astronauts to Mars.
"Frankly, I have been pushing NASA to revamp its vision," Obama said. "The shuttle did some extraordinary work in low orbit: experiments, the International Space Station, moving cargo. It was an extraordinary accomplishment and we're very proud of the work that it did. But now what we need is that next technological breakthrough.
"We’re still using the same models for space travel that we used with the Apollo program, 30, 40 years ago. And so what we've said is: Rather than keep on doing the same thing, let's invest in basic research around new technologies that can get us places faster, allow human spaceflight to last longer. And what you're seeing now is NASA, I think, redefining its mission.
"We've set a goal: Let's ultimately get to Mars," the president said while fielding questions from Twitter users about the economy and other subjects. "A good pit stop is an asteroid." He joked that a specific asteroid has not been chosen.
(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
________________________ _____________________
Maybe if Obama was not focused on Muslim outreach from NASA and shutting down the space shuttle program, they could make more progress.
Another Obama WTF!