Earlier this year NASA cancelled the Deep Space Climate Observatory, which would have given us needed knowledge about our world. Now they're proposing even more cuts in knowledge-seeking missions so that they can try to fulfill Bush's promise of a return to the moon by 2020. It seems that we are more interested in moon flights than in projects which would help us better understand global warming and make better weather forecasts.
Until two years ago, NASA was willing to spend good money on its earth science program. With the recent cuts to this program, the Space Studies Board has concluded that the program is neither robust nor sustainable. Still we spend money on stupid earmarks and attempts to control people's behavior. And money we do spend on worthwhile projects is often not managed properly. It's a wonderful world.
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