From: skywalke@dino.qci.bioch.bcm.tmc.edu (Timothy B. Reynolds)
Newsgroups: alt.politics.clinton
Subject: Clinton on NASA
Date: 5 Nov 92 19:51:32 GMT
Organization: X-Ray Crystallography / Howard Hughes Medical Institute
NNTP-Posting-Host: dino.qci.bioch.bcm.tmc.edu

Due to the questions I re-post the following position paper on the 
future of the space program. 



       CLINTON/GORE ON AMERICA'S SPACE PROGRAM

  The end of the Cold War offers new opportunities
  and new challenges for our civilian space program.
  In recent years the program has lacked vision and
  leadership.  Because the Reagan and Bush
  administrations have failed to establish priorities
  and to match program needs with available
  resources, the National Aeronautics and Space
  Administration (NASA) has been saddled with more
  missions than it can successfully accomplish.

  Bill Clinton and Al Gore support a strong U.S.
  civilian space program -- for its scientific value,
  its economic and environmental benefits, its role
  in building new partnerships with other countries,
  and its inspiration of our nations youth.  A
  Clinton/Gore Administration space program will seek
  to meet the needs of the United States and other
  nations while moving toward our long-term space
  objectives, including human exploration of the
  solar system.  A Clinton/Gore space program will
  also promote the development of new technologies,
  create new jobs for our highly-skilled former
  defense workers, and increase our understanding of
  the planet and its delicate environmental balance.

  Move beyond the Cold War

  *    Restore the historical funding equilibrium
       between NASA and the Defense Departments space
       program. The Reagan and Bush Administrations
       spent more on defense space initiatives than
       on civilian space projects.

  *    Achieve greater cooperation in space with our
       traditional allies in Europe and Japan, as
       well as with Russia.  Greater U.S.-Russian
       cooperation in space will benefit both
       countries, combining the vast knowledge and
       resources both countries have gathered since
       the launch of Sputnik in 1957.

  Improve the American economy through space

  *    Direct NASA to give high priority to continued
       improvement of the American civil aircraft
       industry, which faces increasing international
       competition.  NASA research can play an
       important role in developing less polluting,
       more fuel efficient, and quieter aircraft.

  *    Work to improve our space industries
       competitiveness.  Well direct NASA to develop
       cutting-edge rocket and satellite
       technologies.  We will also develop a new,
       cost effective, and reliable launch system to
       maximize scientific and commercial payloads.

  Link NASA and the environment

  *    Support NASA efforts -- like Mission to Planet
       Earth -- to improve our understanding of the
       global environment.

  *    Call on NASA to develop smaller, more focused
       missions which address pressing environmental
       concerns.

  Strengthen NASA and education

  *    Direct NASA to expand educational programs
       that improve American performance in math and
       science. Space education can help maintain our
       technological edge and improve our
       competitiveness.

  *    Direct NASA to expand the outreach of its
       educational efforts beyond its five field
       centers, so that millions more people can
       learn about space.

  *    Maintain the Space Shuttles integral role in
       our civilian space program.  The Shuttle is
       extremely complex and will always be expensive
       and difficult to operate.  But we must take
       full advantage of its unique capabilities.

  *    Support completion of  Space Station Freedom,
       basing its development on the twin principles
       of greater cooperation and burden sharing with
       our allies. By organizing effectively on this
       project, we can pave the way for future joint
       international ventures, both in space and on
       Earth.

  Encourage planetary exploration through the best
  space science

  *    Stress efforts to learn about other planets.
       These improve our understanding of our own
       world and stimulate advances in computers,
       sensors, image processing and communications.

  *    Fully utilize robotic missions to learn more
       about the universe.

  *    Although we cannot yet commit major resources
       to human planetary exploration, this dream
       should be among the considerations that guide
       our science and engineering.  Because the
       entire world will share the benefits of human
       planetary explorations, the costs for any such
       projects should be borne by other nations as
       well as the United States.

  The Record

  *    Senator Al Gore chairs the Senate Subcommittee
       on Science, Technology, and Space, which has
       primary responsibility for NASA and plays a
       key role in efforts to strengthen and
       revitalize America's space program.

  *    Strongly favors a balanced manned and unmanned
       space program. Supports completion of Space
       Station Freedom and enhancements to the fleet
       of Space Shuttles to ensure safety and
       reliability.

  *    Has championed Mission to Planet Earth, an
       initiative designed to gather comprehensive
       information on the Earth's changing
       environment. He strongly supports  efforts to
       channel information on the Earth's environment
       to teachers and school children.

  *    Strongly supports efforts to strengthen our
       leadership in aviation.

  *    Has tried to use space exploration as a bridge
       to international cooperation, not competition.
       Pushed the administration to investigate the
       possibilities for integrating surviving
       elements of the Soviet space program into the
       U.S. program in ways beneficial to America and
       its aerospace workers.

  *    Following the Challenger disaster, Senator
       Gore uncovered quality assurance deficiencies
       at NASA, gaining a greater commitment to
       quality assurance and accountability at NASA.


CLINTON/GORE 
Campaign '92

-- 
Timothy B. Reynolds
CLINTON/GORE volunteer
Election Campaign '92
Houston, Tx