A meaningful goal for NASA

[classicman]

Instead of creating another thread with the same topic, I found this one and figured we a bump was in order ...

"Bolden: I am here in the region - its sort of the first anniversary of President Barack Obama's visit to Cairo - and his speech there when he gave what has now become known as Obama's "Cairo Initiative" where he announced that he wanted this to become a new beginning of the relationship between the United States and the Muslim world. When I became the NASA Administrator - before I became the NASA Administrator - he charged me with three things: One was that he wanted me to re-inspire children to want to get into science and math, that he wanted me to expand our international relationships, and third, and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with predominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science, math, and engineering."

Question: Are you in some sort of diplomatic role .. to win hearts and minds?

Bolden: NO NO, not at all. Its not a diplomatic anything. What it is - is that it is trying to expand our outreach so that we get more people who can contribute to the things that we do - the international Space Station is as great as it is because we have a conglomerate of about 15 plus nations who have contributed something to that partnership that has made it what it is today ..."

link
NOTE** I linked this site because the liberal and the conservative sites just started with their spin instead of giving the actual info. This one actually quoted what was said.


I am not familiar with NASA's goals from the past, but I would have thought they would be more about the functioning of the organization and space travel/exploration - not about this stuff which seems so much more diplomatic in nature.

1) to re-inspire children to want to get into science and math,
2) to expand our international relationships,
3)and third, and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with predominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science, math, and engineering."

I think these are worthwhile things, but not his responsibility. Anyway - thats all I'll say on it for now. I'm interested in what you think.

[lookout123]

I think there were an awful lot of pepople who spent 8 years claiming science is best served by keeping political objectives far, far away. They were right then and they would be right if they said it today under a different president.

IMO, NASA should be about space exploration for the benefit of the US. Participation in mulitnational programs should be pursued when it is in our national interests.

I don't see how making a religious group feel good about themselves intersects with space exploration at all.

[Lamplighter]

Sorry, wrong button !

[spudcon]

Having been alive and interested i NASA since it's inception, I disagree with most of what Bolden said, and definitely about the politics Obama injected into it and foisted onto Bolden.

[squirell nutkin]

Originally Posted by Griff

I would found the autonomous land of Griffbeeria and raise the first lunar hops.

I guess you're gonna re-task that space mission Griff.

Oh, and I'd put a massive frigging telescope on the moon and repeaters on as many planets as possible, then Fast, Cheap, and Out of Control it all the way baby!

[Happy Monkey]

1) Has always been a NASA goal. Perhaps one of its most important goals, albeit one that has become much more difficult as people became more jaded to space news. Administration of current space projects is fine, but the future strength of the nation is based on the future engineers of the nation.

2) Gets more and more important, especially with the ending of the Shuttle. NASA will rely on foreign vehicles for transportation, for a while at least. During the Cold War, NASA was a de facto diplomatic channel, for both competition and cooperation with the USSR.

3) Seems out of place, but both it and its relative prominence ("perhaps foremost") are probably owed to the venue of the interview. I agree that, as stated, it doesn't seem to be relevant to NASA, but I also agree that it is a "worthwhile thing". If Obama made that a goal, and then picked NASA to do it, that would be odd. But if Obama has a general goal for all of his foreign policy, and wanted NASA to consider that goal with particular focus on engineering in its international dealings, that would make sense.

[Lamplighter]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

1) Has always been a NASA goal. Perhaps one of its most important goals, albeit one that has become much more difficult as people became more jaded to space news. Administration of current space projects is fine, but the future strength of the nation is based on the future engineers of the nation.

2) Gets more and more important, especially with the ending of the Shuttle. NASA will rely on foreign vehicles for transportation, for a while at least. During the Cold War, NASA was a de facto diplomatic channel, for both competition and cooperation with the USSR.

3) Seems out of place, but both it and its relative prominence ("perhaps foremost") are probably owed to the venue of the interview. I agree that, as stated, it doesn't seem to be relevant to NASA, but I also agree that it is a "worthwhile thing". If Obama made that a goal, and then picked NASA to do it, that would be odd. But if Obama has a general goal for all of his foreign policy, and wanted NASA to consider that goal with particular focus on engineering in its international dealings, that would make sense.

Well said... in fact (1) was a primary goal when Sputnik caught the US by surprise

For (3) it's not an unknown practice for Obama or the US to try.
Think of a model of what happens with military production contracts... that is, spread the manufacture of parts around thru every state in the union and you immediately have support from each Senator and Representative if/when problems arise.

The reaching out to "Muslim nations" was rather crudely put, but the concepts and pressures are the same.

[classicman]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

3) I agree that, as stated, it doesn't seem to be relevant to NASA, but I also agree that it is a "worthwhile thing". If Obama made that a goal, and then picked NASA to do it, that would be odd. But if Obama has a general goal for all of his foreign policy, and wanted NASA to consider that goal with particular focus on engineering in its international dealings, that would make sense.

Well said, but it just seems out of place. I tend to agree with Lookout.

NASA should be about space exploration for the benefit of the US. Participation in mulitnational programs should be pursued when it is in our national interests.

I don't see how making a religious group feel good about themselves intersects with space exploration at all.

I didn't know that...

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

(1) was a primary goal when Sputnik caught the US by surprise

[Spexxvet]

I'd like to see NASA build a space elevator, and found a permanent settlement on Mars. Including muslims may reduce the chance that they would fly a plane into the space elevator.

[squirell nutkin]

Originally Posted by Spexxvet

I'd like to see NASA build a space elevator, and found a permanent settlement on Mars. Including muslims may increase the chance that they would fly a plane into the space elevator.

[squirell nutkin]

Then, there's always this:

[TheMercenary]

With our countries increasing and in many ways exclusive reliance on near earth vehicles to control much of our current navigation we had best not neglect rapid movement and defense of space and the equipment it occupies. To do so would be to do so at our own peril.

[xoxoxoBruce]

The North Koreans have pulled ahead.

[slang]

"I'm going to pee any second now!"

[TheMercenary]

HAAAAA!