Elon Musk on new NASA legislation: “This bill changes almost nothing”

[Suppressed]

Elon Musk on new NASA legislation: “This bill changes almost nothing”
"Existing programs stay in place and there is no added funding for Mars."
ERIC BERGER - 3/22/2017, 9:09 AM

https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/03/elon-musk-on-new-nasa-legislation-this-bill-changes-almost-nothing/


SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk talks with White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon at a Policy Forum in February.

SpaceX founder Elon Musk criticizes NASA and Congress in public only very rarely—which isn't surprising given that NASA has supported his company with more than $3 billion in contracts for cargo and crew delivery to the International Space Station. But he broke that rule on Tuesday night when asked on Twitter about the new NASA authorization legislation.

"This bill changes almost nothing about what NASA is doing. Existing programs stay in place and there is no added funding for Mars," Musk

tweeted. "Perhaps there will be some future bill that makes a difference for Mars, but this is not it," he

added.

Musk is absolutely correct on two counts. First, an "authorization" bill does not provide funding. That comes from appropriations committees. Secondly, while Congress has been interested in building rockets and spacecraft, it is far less interested in investing in the kinds of technology and research that would actually enable a full-fledged Mars exploration program.

Much of the general news coverage after President Trump signed the NASA authorization bill on Tuesday focused on the legislation's call for sending humans to Mars. (For example, the AP headlined its story "Trump signs bill authorizing NASA funding, Mars exploration"). However, this perception is probably wrong, as Musk points out. There is lukewarm interest in Congress about aggressively funding humans to Mars—which would cost hundreds of billions of dollars to do using traditional aerospace firms—and according to sources Ars has spoken to, such a costly enterprise holds almost no interest within the Trump administration itself.

...

Excerpt.  Read more at https://arstechnica.com/science/2017/03/elon-musk-on-new-nasa-legislation-this-bill-changes-almost-nothing/

[Cripplecreek]

He needs to stop being so reliant on NASA which is what I thought was the whole point. Frankly I think the private guys need to get together and do something big without federal funding. Unfortunately they are in competition and have different goals.

Personally, as attractive as Mars is, I think Bezos has it right. We need to go back to the moon for an extended period first. Anything we learn on the moon can be taken to mars and the moon is a better launching point than the earth.

[kevindavis007]

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[kevindavis007]

He needs to stop being so reliant on NASA which is what I thought was the whole point. Frankly I think the private guys need to get together and do something big without federal funding. Unfortunately they are in competition and have different goals.

Personally, as attractive as Mars is, I think Bezos has it right. We need to go back to the moon for an extended period first. Anything we learn on the moon can be taken to mars and the moon is a better launching point than the earth.

As someone who was on Team SpaceX, now leaning Team Blue Origin, I think Bezos is going to win this.


Jeff is doing things quietly while Elon is look at me!!


I think some kind of consortium of private space companies is needed..

[Frank Cannon]

"This bill changes almost nothing about what NASA is doing. Existing programs stay in place and there is no added funding for Mars Musk,"

There. Fixed his typo.