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NASA鈥檚 jettisoning of the rocket programme that would return it to the moon has been called everything from 鈥渁 brave reboot鈥� to 鈥渁 giant step from greatness to mediocrity鈥�. One figure has yet to comment on NASA鈥檚 future 鈥� the US president. That could change next month, when Barack Obama will attend a major meeting in Florida to flesh out the agency鈥檚 new plans.
Earlier this year, the Obama administration axed the Constellation programme, a scheme to replace the space shuttle with rockets capable of taking astronauts into orbit and the moon. Private firms will cover routine space travel, freeing NASA to explore deeper space.
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Yet some politicians in Congress are far from pleased and they have to approve it. Some fear loss of jobs. Others doubt private companies are up to the job. Last week, a leaked email suggested NASA chief Charles Bolden has a 鈥減lan B鈥� to retain parts of Constellation, but he denied this.