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Trump Suggests Canceling Europa Lander, Asteroid Mission, and More in First Budget

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T

The Living Tribunal

Member
Trump’s first federal budget is out, and while it’s pretty terrible news for education and environmental science, it’s a bit of a mixed bag for NASA. The headline news is that, sadly, the Europa Lander will be no more – for now.

The budget (which comes off the back of recommendations from Congress last week) covers fiscal year 2018, which begins on October 1 this year, and allocates NASA $19.1 billion – a decrease of 0.4 percent from the Obama administration’s last budget.

It’s not a final budget, as the House and Senate will now examine it, make changes, and send it back to be signed. But it does give an idea of what Trump wants to do with NASA – and there are some pretty big losers.

It proposes continuing funding for a mission to Europa in the 2020s called the Europa Clipper. This will fly past the moon multiple times to ascertain if its ocean beneath its icy surface might be habitable.

However, there had been tentative plans to also send a lander to Europa, either on this mission or on a separate mission. This budget would scrap that, although there’s always the chance it will be picked up again in the future.

“[T]he Budget provides no funding for a multi-billion-dollar mission to land on Europa,” states the document, somewhat stomach-churningly titled “America First: A Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again”.

The funding for the Europa Clipper comes as generally good news for NASA’s Planetary Science division, which would get a 20.1 percent boost in funding from the previous budget. But it's dire news for Earth Science, which is cut by 12.9 percent as a result. NASA involvement in several satellites would be cancelled – although some like DSCOVR could live on through the NOAA.

The other major cut is to the Asteroid Redirect Mission. This was a proposed mission where an asteroid would be moved into lunar orbit, and astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft – which maintains funding alongside the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket – would fly to it and study it.

“We remain committed to the next human missions to deep space, but we will not pursue the Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) with this budget,” said Lightfoot, although he noted that some developments from the project – like solar electric propulsion – would be retained.

This mission has been up for the chop for a while, as some bemoaned its lack of clear purpose. Nonetheless, it leaves NASA’s manned exploration with very little direction in place. The budget makes no specific mention of focusing on getting humans to the Moon or Mars, although it does pledge funding to support “astronauts on deep-space missions”.

The other big losers are aeronautics, which is cut by 26.6 percent, and the Office of Education, which would be scrapped. Support would be maintained for NASA’s commercial endeavors, though, which includes funding companies like SpaceX and Boeing to begin taking astronauts to low-Earth orbit in the next few years.

There are certainly some questionable decisions here. While NASA’s funding remains stable, those hoping Trump wouldn’t be aiming his chopping block at climate science and education are in for a bit of a shock. Save us, James Mattis – you’re our only hope.
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Source:http://www.iflscience.com/space/trump-cancels-europa-lander-asteroid-mission-earth-science-first-budget/page-2/

Defund me if old.
 
Hale-XF11

Hale-XF11

Member
Maybe we can send the lander on a trip to Mar a Lago since that's where a good chunk of our budget is already going.
 
M

Madness

Member
Fuck this orange dumptruck. Europa landing was going to be of significant importance. It is possibly full of water or liquid, might even see signs of life beneath the surface. The US is pushing so hard for Mars so they can be first and plant a flag. Otherwise they are easily starting to see China and India space agencies challenge NASA, Roscosmos, ESA and JAXA etc.

Here is an extra $50 billion to the military to fund garbage like some more fighter jets that will be rusted before they see action and some nukes that will not be used etc. As if 3500-5000 isn't enough.
 
C

Capitan

Member
while this isn't too surprising, as trump doesn't seem like he gives a damn about science, it's still disappointing. It's god damned frustrating that we have so much potential and insist on wasting it on petty shit like building a wall and killing each other.
 
B

BTails

Member
936full-2010-the-year-we-make-contact-screenshot.png
 
B

bsp

Member
Madness said:
Fuck this orange dumptruck. Europa landing was going to be of significant importance. It is possibly full of water or liquid, might even see signs of life beneath the surface. The US is pushing so hard for Mars so they can be first and plant a flag. Otherwise they are easily starting to see China and India space agencies challenge NASA, Roscosmos, ESA and JAXA etc.

Here is an extra $50 billion to the military to fund garbage like some more fighter jets that will be rusted before they see action and some nukes that will not be used etc. As if 3500-5000 isn't enough.
Click to expand...

The Europa flyby will still most likely accomplish the mission of analyzing the water contents for life -- I believe the new plan is to fly it through one of Europa's geysers that reach 100+ miles off the surface and were just reconfirmed several months ago.
 
O

Ogodei

Member
I'm surprised NOAA isn't getting hit harder. All it's good for is spreading that Chinese conspiracy about climate change.
 
T

Toxi

Banned
But it's dire news for Earth Science, which is cut by 12.9 percent as a result. NASA involvement in several satellites would be cancelled – although some like DSCOVR could live on through the NOAA.
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This is the real kick in the nuts.
 
I

Isotropy

Member
I feel like somebody told me once that Republicans are good for NASA.

I guess they meant it in the same way Trump is good for LGBT people...
 
C

Chaos2Frozen

Member
There was a gaffer who thought that the Trump administration would not cut Space budget because Republicans love the rar-rar that comes along with it.
 
Y

Yankee Ruin X

Member
FantasticMrFoxdie said:
Can't have any more illegal aliens sneaking on to this planet
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NASA needs to get that space wall built pronto!!

NASA needs to be more creative in their proposals, instead of satellites that monitor the earths weather patterns they just need to call them Illegal Imigrant super cameras and they will get all the funding they need
 
T

Toxi

Banned
Chaos2Frozen said:
There was a gaffer who thought that the Trump administration would not cut Space budget because Republicans love the rar-rar that comes along with it.
Click to expand...
If they were a Trump supporter, they probably knew that was complete bullshit and said it anyway.
 
L

Lambtron

Unconfirmed Member
Maybe if space wore longer ties it would impress Durian Despot and he'd be more likely to use funds for it.
 
A

Alcoremortis

Member
One of the professors at my university thought NASA should just name the new planet Planet Trump or something and pander to his ego so he funds science more.

The fact that it's really far away and barely interacts with the rest of the solar system is just a bonus subtle jab that he won't notice.
 
Goro Majima

Goro Majima

Kitty Genovese Member
Chaos2Frozen said:
There was a gaffer who thought that the Trump administration would not cut Space budget because Republicans love the rar-rar that comes along with it.
Click to expand...

I think the space budget is being increased 20% though?

He's basically taking the money from earth sciences and giving it to the planetary sciences which seems pretty Republicanish to me. Trump is totally the guy ready to plant the US flag on planets and punch aliens like in that one gif I used to see all the time.

The real concern seems to be the lack of direction and slashing the budget for climate monitoring and all that.
 
C

Chaos2Frozen

Member
Toxi said:
If they were a Trump supporter, they probably knew that was complete bullshit and said it anyway.
Click to expand...

I honestly can't remember the thread title, it was one of those small hopeful NASA titles.

I don't think the person was a Trump supporter? But just frustrated that every one of those thread became about Trump.

(hint: He's the American president, of course we would have to talk about him when it comes to American budget)
 
C

commedieu

Banned
One of the few things I agree with.

We were warned to go no further than the moon w/ manned space travel until we stop using nuclear weapons, by a more advanced race on the moon. Probably best to avoid it, until it's settled.
 
B

Beartruck

Member
Aren't republicans hoping to have another planet to run to when they wreak Earth? Whats the plan here?

JK i know they have no plan.
 
R

Ravensmash

Member
This isn't too worrying.

It's Trump.

The second that China or any other nation starts making advances that make headlines, he'll bemoan it on Twitter and give NASA a disproportionate raise in funding.

He's just waiting for the right moment.
 
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