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Efrem Lukatsky / AP file
Newt Gingrich says Mitt Romney's space plan doesn't go far enough.
BELOIT, Wis. – One-time presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich, who promised during the GOP primary to create a U.S. moon colony if elected, criticized Mitt Romney’s plan for space exploration as not being “robust” enough.
“The Romney plan for space starts to move in the right direction but could be much more robust,” the former House speaker told NBC News a day after the Republican presidential nominee unveiled his “Securing U.S. Leadership in Space” plan. “We could move into space much, much faster than we are. Romney is better than [President] Obama on space but could be bolder and more visionary.”
Saturday, Romney’s running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan, laid out the campaign’s plan during a townhall meeting in Orlando, Fla., and accused President Barack Obama of “dismantling” America’s space program.
"We are near the Space Coast, I think it’s important that we have a space program that has a clear space mission, a space program that we know where we are heading in the future, and a space program that is the unequivocal leader on the planet in space travel and space research,” Ryan said at the University of Central Florida. “We don’t have that right now.”
The Wisconsin congressman continued: “Mitt Romney and I believe that America must lead in space. Mitt Romney and I believe we need a mission for NASA, a mission for a space program, and we also believe that this is an integral part of our national security.”
During the long Republican primary season, Gingrich regularly spoke about fixing the space program after the cancellation of American space shuttles.
Speaking in Cocoa, Fla., at the end of January, Gingrich vowed the United States would “have the first permanent base on the moon” and by the end of 2020 the country would have "the first continuous propulsion system in space" capable of allowing people travel to Mars.
Romney, whom Gingrich later endorsed for president after suspending his campaign in May, mocked the former House speaker for proposing a lunar colony during one of the several GOP debates earlier in the year.
"I spent 25 years in business. If I had a business executive come to me and say they wanted to spend a few hundred billion dollars to put a colony on the moon, I'd say, 'You're fired,'" Romney said at the debate in Jacksonville, Fla., co-hosted by CNN, the Republican Party of Florida and the Hispanic Leadership Network. "The idea that corporate America wants to go off to the moon and build a colony there, it may be a big idea, but it's not a good idea."
Under a President Romney administration, there would be four space priorities: focusing NASA, partnering internationally, strengthening security, and revitalizing industry.
The steps put forward by the Romney-Ryan ticket do not go far enough in Gingrich’s eyes.
“I was with Richard Branson in Yalta last week and his commitment to a dynamic private secure entrepreneurial model that works with innovators and risk-takers to put people into space inexpensively (compared to government rates) is a big example of the future,” Gingrich said in an email Sunday.
Branson, the entrepreneur and CEO of Virgin Airlines, is launching Branson's Virgin Galactic which will offer commercial space flights as the government closes down it’s space shuttle operations.
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fat cat newt,," the president of the moon", is talking again!!!!!!....scary...........always idiotic, always stupid, .............get out of here!!!!! nobody likes you , nobody wants you...go out and get a real life........First an enemy of Mitt, call him : "Massachusetts moderate", and then when all the way saying crap about Romney care, that he said he will not hold up on to the debates against Barack Obama for the Obamacare, saying he was a better conservative and blah blah blah, ...but when he saw his own campaign not getting anywhere, he said: it does not matter.. we are going all the way to the convention in florida and then people will choose me hahahaha...., then he quit and in a sign of "rendition."....he endorsed Romney , and now what is he playing?... political adviser , campaign strategist?...or just a sore loser who wants attention ?.......... I cannot stand this fat cat every time he opens his mouth...................
Bush called for a moon colony in 2004, Then defunded over 1/2 of NASA in 2006
Just go away.
Privatize the moon, the Bain way.
Nah, there's no profit in it, he can't fire anybody there because nobody's there.
Meanwhile, in Outer space...
Newt has a new book, huh? :)
Callista must furious that she didn't get her mention in the article.
They're like a really whacko Martin Landau/Barbara Bain act.
Newtie made a BJ in the wh his biggest concern. Now it's Wal Marts on the moon?
Yeah and on the first flight take Gingrich ,Romney and Ryan there on one way tickets-no return .
No worries, Obama has this under control. This is just a brief transition period after the Bush Administration ended the Shuttle Program.
Space Coast is actually seeing job growth due to aerospace, aviation and other related companies moving in to take advantage of the highly skilled workers and industry infrastructure that is there.
The private sector will soon be handling low-earth orbit and NASA is already developing heavy lift launchers for future moon and interplanetary manned missions.
Our unmanned exploration programs and space telescopes have no equals and our earth-based astronomy is the best in the world.
Robme said,
Under a President Romney administration, there would be four space priorities: focusing NASA, partnering internationally, strengthening security, and revitalizing industry.
The steps put forward by the Romney-Ryan ticket do not go far enough in Gingrich’s eyes.
He said,
Space for the sake of space (and space-related economic development) is another big idea that is not a good idea. Someone has to pay for that stuff.
Space projects should be subject to national, public business plans, like environmental impact statements. If we had those comprehensive business plans open to public examination, permanent Moonbases by 2020 (thanks a bunch, Newt) would soon fall flat and a lot of this mindless boosterism would go away.
Pure science space exploration is not market driven.
Space industry is.
The private sector (with NASA's help) is already introducing open market forces into low-earth orbit space flight.
Next will be asteroid mining. Planetary Resources (with NASA's help) will most likely be the pioneer to introduce market forces in the space mining and resource exploration industry.
Meanwhile, NASA will continue pure science space exploration and spinning off private sector space industries.
Can we afford human space exploration?
I think we can barely afford not to do more of it! It really is part of the cutting edge infrastructure of any economy built to last.
Over time the creativity and synergy of doing complex technical projects finds its way back to the mundane consumer market, and some estimate Apollo paid back as much as 20:1 by this metric. It's like asking how to make a better oven. You might just go to the leading oven makers and ask them to push things a bit here and there, but that incremental thinking won't get you the game changing microwave oven.
For that kind of result you need to recognize and encourage the great synergies that exist between green technologies and space exploration technologies — energy, climate modification, remote medicine, exobiology. For many reasons Mars is the best risk/reward trade out there right now.
Such insight is of course rarely found in the political class. Mr Obama's Augustine Commission talked to everyone but listened to nobody, and just rubber stamped the prejudices of the science establishment. Mr Gingrich is all fired up about the wrong target. Myth Robme will simply "love to fire people" who suggest such stuff.
For quality space exploration we could follow the Dutch lead and have "one way" explorers on Mars by 2023, funded largely by private ventures. We could restructure the way we fund the physical and engineering sciences generally. but, hey, if you thought health care was hard, this would be a real "French revolution".
@ reterry
You asked:
Can we afford human space exploration?
Good question. That's the point.
No, we can't.
Penny wise and pound foolish, dubina. You cut this all off you are "eating the seed corn". Do you even know the relative fraction of Federal budget or GDP devoted to these enterprises?
When the ETs arrive on Dec. 21 we will have all the space ships we can handle.....Newt they are returning to get you. Better get ready.
Look up at the "man in the moon" and it looks remarkably like Newt.
He wants it all commerical where someone can charge fares to get there and for lodging while there.
"Where shall we go this year on vacation?" "To the moon, Alice, to the moon". "Okay Ralph, I'll start packing".
But . . . buit . . . it was BUSH who killed the Space Program. Oh -- a fact. Nevermind.
Yes, it was Bush who at first wanted to save money by not repairing/maintaining the Hubble telescope. That is like buying a new car and deciding to save money by not changing the oil.
My only conclusion at the time was that Bush was scared of science.
What if Senator Cantor has not cut the budget of NOAA, then a warning may come much sooner or in a more distinctive manner? Or, what if the GOPers had increased the budget of NOAA, then there are more upgrade of their old computers and other gadgets and also a possibility of other invention for improving the weather accuracy.
There are needs for improving our national infrastructures, from transportation to preparing people for changing jobs due to the emerging technology. We have problems on earth, and GOPers please kindly invest money on earth, too, since we cannot all go to the moon at one time.
Cantor is not a Senator.
That's really to bad that the GOP and their stellar candidate M. Romney aren't whole-heartedly in support of ole'Newtster and his "Moon-Colony". They can take their 53% of people that they believe will support them and listen to Frank Sinatra's "Fly me to the moon" song. While they continue to cut taxes and keep wages low... Wow what a bunch of lunatics... Get it Luna (moon) tics (bloodsucking instects)
Go figure, then go vote
Not to worry Newt. Willard will announce that he has the biggest space exploration plan ever created by a human being tomorrow.
And yet, even Gingrich would expect NASA to run on peanuts and warm wishes. You wouldn't want that big government and big taxes coming in now, would you?
Gore promised Space. Bush promised tax cuts. We got Bush. We got tax cuts. If you wanted space, Gingy, you shoulda voted democrat. Or did you expect Obama to create a massive new space program with the money that no one had after he inhereted the colossal dump-fest that your party gave him to fix?
Newt's a space cadet.
Newtie tuttie fruitie, and now his ass clown posse, Mittie and Ruin. We need their stupid ides, as bad as we need more holes in our heads.
OBAMA/BIDEN 2012 THE ONLY SANE CHOICE!!!!
Republicans talk about reducing the size of government, but continue to support big government programs and a huge military infrastructure. Lets pay off the debt and balance the budget. Then we can buy more toys (if we can afford to do so). You cant win over the independent voters by talking BS.
But they'd ruin the moons ecosystem, run up its debt and start wars with mars' two little moons.
^ lol.
Why do people even vote GOP when they don't even try to be coherent.
Romney is just as bad. He wants to solve the debt problem. But no, he want's to spend another 2 trillion on the military. But no, he wants to cut taxes for the rich.
Apparently GOP voter's minds work this way:
We know it doesn't add up.
But, we don't care.
We just vote GOP and make up a stupid reason to justify it..
re:
miss Newt, there were so many Mrs. Frankenstein jokes left in poor old Calistra.
They ended their candidacy too soon.
They ended it prematurely, but then Callista's used to that.
Somebody please send Newt to the moon.Calista already has her helmet.
Moonbase Tiffany's last radio contact w/earth before going dark..."Its all full of Newts" Penguin's around the world are mourning the loss
I do believe we need a better space program. However, i don't believe setting up colonies on the moon is a bold plan. We need to focus on moving beyond our planet and beyond our solar system. The primary focus now should be getting a man to Mars. That is the next step and America should lead that area.
You would think that Mutt would be hot to build moon colonies. They would make a fine place to hide more $ .
Romney sounds like a little boy telling his playmate to stop hurting him! He has always all his life along with Ann has got his way but not it looks like he can't now! Ann is just as arragant as her husband! Telling people to "STOP it" like she is demanding that! These people do not have a clue on how real people live.