USA must establish a Reuseable STS

Connie Mack IV Florida Rep. Running for Senate is SO RIGHT. The United States needs clear, long-term plans for space that do not whipsaw NASA and the Space Coast economy every couple of years, U.S. Senate candidate Connie Mack IV said Friday. Mack, a Republican congressman from Fort Myers, called for “boldness” and firm planning looking ahead 10 to 20 years. He offered no specifics but said he would be open to ideas like a base on the moon. “We need to be bold,” he said, to inspire Americans. But he was non-committal about increasing or even sustaining funding for NASA. He said that what the agency really needs is mission stability. After meeting privately with the Economic Development Commission of Florida’s Space Coast, Mack told reporters he supports the “Space Leadership Act” proposed by U.S. Rep. Bill Posey, R-Rockledge, to create a 10-year term for NASA’s administrator and an independent board to develop NASA’s budget. He said the Space Coast has suffered because his Democratic opponent, U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, and President Barack Obama do not have clear, long-term goals. Nelson, who flew in a space shuttle in 1986 and has made NASA his priority interest, responded in a statement that he helped save thousands of jobs by championing the current heavy-lift rocket and Orion capsule program. Mack voted against it. Mack demonstrated a lapse in knowledge when he twice complained about NASA relying on Russia and China to ferry astronauts into space. “The idea that Russia and China are responsible for manned space launches for us is not right,” he said. Currently, NASA contracts with Russia to ferry U.S. astronauts to and from the International Space Station, but there are no deals with China. In three to five years, NASA intends to turn to American private rocket companies. Mack said his point is that NASA should be launching U.S. astronauts: “We just have to make it a priority.” So whether we use Shuttle now in museum or enlarged X37B, RI Starraker, Lockheed Martin VentureStar, WE need to get a plan in work. The Answer is Reuseable Winged lifting bodies, NOT Expendable Capsules---as Aldrin calls them Runway landers. Connie Mack made a critically important statement, we should not be using another countries capability. Furthermore, national security of the USA is at stake!!!