Dear President Obama

President Obama is visiting the Kennedy Space Center in two weeks to discuss his plans for NASA and U.S. human spaceflight. During his campaign, he promised the people affected by the end of the space shuttle program he would close the anticipated five-year gap between the last shuttle flight and its successor, Constellation. However, his proposed budget not only cancells the space shuttle, but also cancells Constallation, which the United States has already spent $9 billion on. He wants to have private, commercialized companies sending our astronauts into space, which there is no timetable for. In the meantime, we are to be 100% dependant on having Russia send American astronauts into space. A newspaper based near the space coast, Florida Today, is inviting people to write a letter to Obama in 200 words or less on their views. This is my entry:

Dear Mr. President:

The United States needs a manned space program. We cannot rely on the Russians to send our astronauts to a space station we primarily built and support. What if relations between the Russians and us go sour? What if they decide to double the amount they charge to send our people up there? How can you allow this?

You promised to shorten the gap between the end of the space shuttle and the next vehicle. Now, you are doing the complete opposite. Many people voted for you because of this promise.

How are we supposed to inspire our young people with no way for us to send astronauts into space? A space vehicle has not been cancelled since the 70s when Apollo was mothballed, but at least it was to introduce the space shuttle. You are canceling both the shuttle and its successor in one stroke of the pen. Why are you trying to torpedo the United States manned space program?

The United States has always been a leader, and now you are proposing we take a back seat and let Russia dictate our manned space capabilities. If you are going to cancel Constellation, you must extend the space shuttle program.