Coalition Supports NASA’s New Plan for Space
Exploration
New Direction Will Create Private Sector Jobs and Keep U.S. as World Leader in Space Exploration
April 15, 2010 06:27 PM Eastern Daylight Time
ORLANDO, Fla.--(EON: Enhanced Online News)--Next Step In Space, a coalition of over thirty businesses and
organizations dedicated to scientific advancement and increased understanding of the Earth and our solar system
through expanded human space flight, today announced their support for NASA’s new strategy for space
exploration.
The President outlined an ambitious effort to foster the development of path-breaking technologies; increase the
number, scope, and pace of manned and unmanned space missions; make human spaceflight safer and more
efficient; and help create thousands of jobs. Included in his vision for NASA is a sequence of deep-space
destinations matched to growing capabilities, progressing step-by-step until we are able to reach Mars.
The president stated that his administration is committed to a bold, new approach to human spaceflight, and is
increasing the NASA budget by $6 billion over the next five years in order to embark on this ambitious strategy that
will foster the development of path-breaking technologies, increase the reach and reduce the cost of human
spaceflight, and help create thousands of new jobs.
He pointed out that this new strategy means more money for NASA, more jobs for the country, more astronaut time
in space, and more investments in innovation. It will result in a longer operating lifetime for the International Space
Station, new launch capabilities becoming available sooner, and a fundamentally more ambitious space strategy to
take us to an increased number of destinations and to new frontiers in space. By undertaking this strategy, we will no
longer rely on our past achievements, and instead embrace a new and bold course of innovation and discovery.
"Commercial space exploration is a supplemental avenue to increase innovation and participation in NA