THE US might privatise mission planning for the space shuttle and mothball
the Apollo Moon rocks. These are just two of the options NASA is considering to
slash its budget, according to a leaked memo.
President Bush’s blueprint budget for 2002 allocated a 1.4 per cent increase
in funding for NASA. But that increase is dwarfed by the spiralling costs of the
International Space Station (ISS). Now an internal memo circulated to NASA
managers reveals the projects that are in the frame for possible budget cuts or
closure.
The space agency would not comment on the details of the…
