Timothy Roemer: “I am very concerned about the NASA budget. It is going down this year, and it will be flat for the next 5 years. This…”

“I am very concerned about the NASA budget. It is going down this year, and it will be flat for the next 5 years. This year, it represents a $250 million cut. There are no new initiatives in the NASA budget, and we are represented by that budget in other requests in science with the smallest investment as a percent of Gross National Product since 1954. The problem with all this is the Space Station. The Space Station is the albatross around NASA's neck. We now have gone to a joint venture with the Russians. This presents compatibility problems with technology, cost, infrastructure with the Kazakstan and Baykonyr facilities, all kinds of new problems. I strongly suggest that NASA step back. We evaluate where NASA needs to go and where we need to invest this money and cancel the Space Station.”