NASA Mission Statement No Longer Includes Protecting Earth

[Savonarola]

NASA’s Goals Delete Mention of Home Planet

By ANDREW C. REVKIN
Published: July 22, 2006
From 2002 until this year, NASA’s mission statement, prominently featured in its budget and planning documents, read: “To understand and protect our home planet; to explore the universe and search for life; to inspire the next generation of explorers ... as only NASA can.”

In early February, the statement was quietly altered, with the phrase “to understand and protect our home planet” deleted. In this year’s budget and planning documents, the agency’s mission is “to pioneer the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research.”

David E. Steitz, a spokesman for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, said the aim was to square the statement with President Bush’s goal of pursuing human spaceflight to the Moon and Mars.

But the change comes as an unwelcome surprise to many NASA scientists, who say the “understand and protect” phrase was not merely window dressing but actively influenced the shaping and execution of research priorities. Without it, these scientists say, there will be far less incentive to pursue projects to improve understanding of terrestrial problems like climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions.

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First was the "I psychically predict that we will not have enough evidence to warrant doing anything until immediately after my term is over," now we have the "We're not looking for any evidence because we're trying to do other things."

Just like creationism: Ignore the evidence you don't like, and refuse to look for more.

[Barbara Fitzpatrick]

It doesn't take a Bush-pressured change in the NASA goals to understand GHWB, Jr is actively out to destroy the earth. Too bad he's watched so many sci-fi's though. He really hasn't gotten the point that there isn't another earth out there (at least not within reachable range). Trashing this planet with a plan to skip off to Mars works nicely in fantasy, but nowhere else. Hopefully the next prez will put back the original wording for NASA - along with original principles of respect and defend the Constitution.

[Doug]

In early February, the statement was quietly altered, with the phrase “to understand and protect our home planet” deleted.

DOUG
Bush cut funding for anti-terrorism work (before 9/11), cut funds for protecting NYC (after 9/11), tried to cut pay for our troops in Iraq, sent the troops into Iraq with inadequate armor and supplies, so it is no surprise to me that he wants to quit protecting the planet.

Be thankful NASA's mission is not explicitly to destroy the Earth. Bush is still keeping that under wraps.

[Barbara Fitzpatrick]

That's probably the secret mission of 'Star Wars' that he keeps pushing (& the Congressional rubberstamp keeps funding). Thank heavens it doesn't work.