In a posting last October entitled "Did US Defense Secretary Gates Realize He Was Talking About Our Space Industry?" I asked, "Are the US military and NASA industries costly kissing cousins?" and wrote, "Both require massive (in size and budget) programs to produce the necessary primary hardware, all too often these programs run behind schedule and over budget, and sometimes the hardware doesn't perform as advertised."

This bears another look now that Sec. Gates has drawn his budget sword. In the news report "Gates optimistic on 2010 US defense budget success," the Defense Secretary explains that he's been surprised by the limited push-back against his recommendations and then mentions that a news magazine has referred to his proposals as "radically sane." 

Might NASA be in the crosshairs for the next Obama Administration shot of radical sanity? Well, the only thing quieter than the still-unheard Obama announcement about the next NASA Administrator is the vacuum of space, and it isn't hard to believe that the delay is due to an ongoing major re-evaluation of NASA's Constellation Program and how this nation should conduct it's space exploration and development. Reinforcing this argument is a colleague with significant Washington, DC connections who is certain that just such a change is coming.

Along these lines, Space News announced on May 1st that "NASA Puts $150 Million Into Commercial Crew Transport" and "NASA Budget Woes Prompt Constellation Realignment."

Are these more shots across the bow?

I realize I'm asking questions more than I'm providing answers, and this is mere enlightened speculation until President Obama tells us his intentions. But taken together this does create a tantalizing impression that things currently left unsaid are due to final decisions still unmaid, and I can't help but wonder if these decisions will lead to a radically sane process for this nation leading the commercial settlement and development of space. If so, I'll have to revisit another of my postings; "Barack Obama Doesn't 'Get' Space" in Nov. 2007.  It would be my great pleasure to do so.