From the Oct. 10 issue of SpaceNews Magazine
For good or ill, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton haven’t said much about U.S. space policy during the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign. SpaceNews put nine identical questions to the Clinton and Trump camps. Here’s what they had to say.
1. In 2016, NASA’s $19.3 billion budget represents a little less than 0.5 percent of the federal budget. Does that sound too high, too low or like an appropriate level of funding?
TRUMP
There is no way to answer this question based on the current state of the space program and the problems facing us. My administration will examine spending priorities and will make adjustments as necessary. However, as a businessman, I am mindful of the many benefits, inventions and scientific breakthroughs that would not have been possible without the space program, and that has to be thrown into the calculus, as well
CLINTON
An investment in NASA is an investment in our future. The United States reaps tremendous tangible benefits from the just over one-half of one percent of the federal budget that is spent on NASA.
As president, I will give my full support for a NASA budget that invests in innovative, meaningful programs that are managed wisely and efficiently, in order to grow our 21st century space and aeronautics portfolio.
It is critical that we ensure NASA has the resources and the predictable funding it needs to achieve the goals of its missions and programs. Maintaining American leadership in space will take strategically partnering with American companies on certain near-term needs, freeing up NASA to focus on the toughest technical challenges as we continue to explore at an even more rapid pace.
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