NASA Daily News: Government Intervention In NASA Policy Formation A Big Challenge In Space Research

NASA and its research programs are considered crucial in the overall development of the nation. Unfortunately, these are often modified, usually after the new president takes charge of the White House. Sudden changes in research policies and shutting down funding to focus on new projects often prove disastrous. These not only cause huge loss of money and time but also hinder the continual progression and development of space research.

George W. Bush, during his term as a president, promoted the study and exploration of the Moon and encouraged launching of spacecrafts to the Moon. After his term ended and Barack Obama took charge of the Oval Office, the government wanted to shift the focus on the presently continuing Mars mission. This not only caused defunding of research projects focused toward the Moon but also led to the wastage of money and hard work put in by scientists over many years.

According to an article published in Scientific American, space explorations are long-term propositions, and changing the strategy every four or eight years is causing huge wastage of effort, time and money.

Donald Trump is soon going to take charge as the new president of the United States of America, which has again created an air of uncertainty, and NASA officials are worried that another change in the plans could lead to catastrophic results. NASA has gained momentum in the last few years after 2010, and presently, it looks like it is right on track with Mars mission with the upcoming Space Launch System (SLS) rocket launch. Charles Bolden, NASA administrator, said that, "This is not a time that we can start over."

Experts are of the opinion that NASA administrators should be responsible in determining the research goals of the institute. In that way, every time a new president takes office, a new administrator can be nominated by the Congress and the Senate. Furthermore, the NASA administrators can preferably serve renewable terms, which will help in preventing monumental changes every time a new president is elected.

It will also be highly useful if an independent commission is appointed that can approve or reject 10- and 30-year research plans developed by NASA. The agency would then submit these plans to Congress for approval every five years.