White House Unveils New Space Strategy

President Obama is calling for increased cooperation with other countries and more reliance on the private sector for space flight. Many lawmakers are blasting the idea, worried about safety, jobs and the future of American space supremacy. At a recent hearing, Senator Mark Warner said increased commercial spaceflight may be a plus for the Commonwealth.

Warner:  It holds some great possibilities and opportunities, particularly possibilities of Wallops, as a facility in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

At the hearing, Warner also asked NASA administrator Charles Bolden about possible lessons to be learned related to the Langley Research Center.  Like Wallops, the Langley center is in Eastern Virginia.

Warner:  Is there some analogy that we could draw from NASA Langley working with FAA on setting safety and standards around commercial aircraft that we could perhaps utilize again?

Bolden:  We've thought it through very seriously, and we continue to think it through.

Warner is seen as a key Senator on the issue of commercial spaceflight because of his support as Governor for the commercial spaceport at Wallops. The President may have a new strategy for space, but the policy specifics have to get Congressional approval.

From Capitol News Connection, Manuel Quinones, WCVE News, Washington