Justin Kugler has some insight into the nature of the Senate NASA appropriations bill. He’s probably right that it’s the best we can do for now. The question is whether the House will have the sense to go along, or continue to bang its rattle and want its POR bottle back.

I just got this email in response to my AOL News piece:

Dear Rand:

My name is Chris Berman, author of RED MOON. (about Chinese domination of trans-lunar space) I read your article, and I have to say I disagree. In my opinion, the Obama plan was designed to basically kill NASA’s manned space program. In fact, once shuttle launches were to be ended in 2010, we would have had nothing to fly into space with period. You talk about handing space over to Russia but the Obama plan gives the keys to the Moon to China. In case you haven’t noticed, the Chinese are developing a formidable military derived space presence that will include orbital refueling stations and manned military space stations, similar to the old Soviet Almaz stations. The Ares I and V are excellent space vehicles and the Constellation program should be considered a priority in light of abundant water ice on the Moon. Yes, we need commercial space flight but these ventures are for small payloads and so far, for making sub-orbital passenger flights for well heeled tourists at $200,000 a pop. You don’t go to your local boat building company with a contract to build an aircraft carrier. I’m hoping that the Senate and the Congress get more aggressive and restore the funds for Constellation. This is a far better investment than the billions of failed stimulus dollars that have accomplished little if anything for our country. I do know at least one former NASA astronaut, Norm Thagard, and he agrees that the Obama plan was very lacking in vision.

I don’t even know where to start. Have at it in comments.