Jan 10 1990
From The Space Library
Vice President Dan Quayle, leader of the White House National Space Council, told scientists at the 175th meeting of the American Astronomical Society that "the rest of the world is catching up and may pass us by" because our space programs consume too much time and money. His eight-page speech was not lauded by the audience until he suggested greater emphasis on untended space flight; many scientists, dependant on Federal funding, view crew-assisted flights as a drain on their own projects. Quayle reiterated a commitment to balance tended and untended space exploration and called upon allied nations, most specifically Japan, and the business sector to share costs.
The Vice President also asked the NASA to look "across the traditional divisions among civil, commercial, and national security activities," which some NASA sources interpreted as a suggestion that outside agencies might assume a bigger role in the space program. In accord with Quayle's comment concerning lengthy and costly space projects, John Pike, Associate Director for Space Policy at the Federation of American Scientists, brought up NASA plans for crew- assist-flights to the Moon and to Mars. The missions, he noted, would cost $15 to $20 billion annually over 25 years while guaranteeing job security for NASA. (P Inq, Jan 11/90; W Post, Jan 11/90; NY Times, Jan 11/90, W Times, Jan 11/90)
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