PRESS RELEASE

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Former Astronaut Harrison Schmitt Advises, Just Give NASA the Money and Support To Go Back to the Moon

Dec. 31, 2016 (EIRNS)—As speculation continues to intensify as to what President Trump’s space policy will be, one of the worst recommendations floated by some space policy denizens is the resurrection of a National Space Council, traditionally headed by the Vice President (since Kennedy gave it to LBJ) and always functioning as a counter-gang or minimally disruptive force in civilian space policy. It includes high-level representatives from Defense, Commerce, Transportation, the President’s Science Advisor, and others, and makes NASA’s voice one among many.

Leonard David, veteran reporter for Space.com website, talked to a number of space policy people, almost none of whom thought it was a good idea. Minimally, they point out, it had a track record of not accomplishing anything the times that it existed.

Former Apollo astronaut and Senator Harrison Schmitt cut to the chase, and said it best, that for a

"vigorous and permanent deep-space exploration program—one that looks at the Moon as a neessary springboard to Mars—all that would be necessary would be to give the NASA Administrator...full authority and necessary funding to implement that program."

Period.