At Twitter town hall, Obama says it's time for NASA to "revamp" its space mission

President Obama answers questions during a "Twitter town hall" on July 6, 2011.

/ CBS

President Obama said Wednesday it is time for NASA to "revamp its vision" for space exploration in order for America to find "the next frontier out there" - and ultimately make it to Mars.

At his Twitter town hall event Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Obama talked about his vision for the future of the space program, and noted that while America is "still a leader in space exploration," it was time for the U.S. to "start stretching the boundaries" in space.

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"Frankly, I had been pushing NASA to revamp its vision," the president said. "We're still using the same models for space travel that we used for the Apollo program 30, 40 years ago. Now what we need is that next technological breakthrough."

NASA is currently preparing for the 135th and final mission of its 30-year shuttle program, scheduled for Friday.

Even while praising the recent accomplishments of NASA, Mr. Obama contended that it was time for the program to push for new technological achievements.

"Rather than keep on doing the same thing, let's invest in basic research around new technologies that can get us places faster, [and] allow human space flight to last longer," he said. "What you're seeing now is NASA, I think, redefining its mission."

The ultimate goal, he said, was to "get to Mars."

"A good pit-stop is an asteroid," he added, before noting that "we haven't identified an actual asteroid yet."

Last year, Mr. Obama detailed some specific milestones he wanted NASA to reach, including sending astronauts to an asteroid for the first time and orbiting Mars by the mid-2030's.

Today, however, Mr. Obama argued that in order to get to a point where such advanced space exploration was in the realm of possibility, "we're gonna need some technological breakthroughs that we don't have yet."

He suggested that the private sector should be a larger player in the space game - so that average Americans might one day be able to "buy a ticket" to space.

Meanwhile, he said, the government should be focused on making scientific breakthroughs.

"Let's start thinking about what's the next horizon," Mr. Obama said. "What's the next frontier out there?"

[moronpolitics]

Since space is such a loser according to our lefty friends why does
Russia -- despite their entire economy/government collapsing completely --COMPLETELY --- keep up a major space effort?? Why is China hustling to get a meaningful program going??? Just a bunch of rightwing retarda probly looking for Jesus's heaven, right??

[daffy64]

I like President Obama for the most part but he's dead wrong here. The goal of getting humans to Mars can be accomplished with conventional rockets and current technology. Robert Zubrin outlined an excellent cost effective plan for this in his book "The Case for Mars".

Seem politicians are just stalling and passing the goal on and on.

If someone would commit to it, it could be accomplished in ten years.

It's no more daunting than the goal of landing men on the moon was when Kennedy set it.

[creative012]

Right on! You took the words right out of my mouth!

[creative012]

And JFK sent man on the Moon with 60's technology with very little experience in space expl. Today with current technology we can be on Mars in lass than 5 years if corporate greed wouldn't be in its way.

[wfw3536]

How sad that we were a leader in space every since president Kennedy took up the challenge to go to the moon. Now Obama is satisfied to beg Russia to get a ride into space. He has billions to spend on another needless war in Libya, but no money to support NASA.

[thesevenveils]

Blame your illustrious leader Emperor Bush for NASA's demise. First he finished what Osama bin Laden started and bankrupted America. Second he ordered the shuttle program to shut down and canceled all work towards upgrading the Space Shuttle. Third, despite his rhetoric (he was full of it)he never put the money where his mouth was and reduced NASA's budget by more than a third. And that's after Regan reduced NASA's budget by a third more than a decade earlier with NASA NEVER getting any budget increases.

So thank you Republican party for chaining man to the earth and to a dead-end job waiting for the sheets to trickle down a little more harder.

[daffy64]

Actually, Nasa has been on the ropes since Nixon. He cancelled the last three moon landings and ditched the manned mars plans.

Nasa's been stuck in low earth orbit for thirty years.

Obama hasn't been around that long.

[moronpolitics]

You don't need to be a "rocket scientist" to know that space is the ultimate high ground militarily. That said, we now -- for the first time since Sputnik -- have NO way to put a man or equipment into orbit or even to take someone up to the space station which is controlled by Russia. If we need to work on a satellite whether communication or some military application ---well that last just isn't going to happen is it? Our only way to leave the surface of Earth anytime in the next several years is by asking Russia if they will please give us a ride. President Obama constantly compares his relationship with the country to that between him and his daughters, even chiding Congress as bad little kids if they don't obey him. Well his litte girls will be driving before this country can go into space again except by "why don't you get a ride with a friend?? Is Russia going to the football game (sorry, the moon?) Your Daddy really likes him."

I'm going to puke.

[retm-w]

You don't want to pay for medicare or social security, yet you'll cry about not spending money that doesn't help anybody but the military industrial complex.

[MaxK341]

The President is no space scientist and he should not be micro-managing this agency. The NASA administrator should be establishing our nations long term space exploration goals. The President is a short timer with short range goals. Besides he has no understanding of his own stated goal of placing humans on an asteroid. How do you do that on your way to Mars when the asteroid belt is millions of miles beyond Mars?

[documemts]

Oh yeah? Like Columbia and Challenger? NASA bureaucrats,=== kaput!

[imnho]

They needed to have another man rated vechile online before they closed down the shuttle.

[Anotheryahoo]

My guess is we do but Nasa isnt flying them. Lots of Black triangles doing some amazing things have been seen all over the world. Go look it up. I think we have a public program of space flight and perhaps one not so public.

[rwsmith29456]

Hopefully we won't have to listen to Obama talk out of both sides of his mouth much longer.

[Anotheryahoo]

Lets stop all the partisan garbage, Obama is correct we have been using 30 year old technology for endless earth orbit. We need to push the boundaries if we are ever going to go into space and old fashion chemical rockets from the 50s & 60s aint going to do it. A mars mission has to be done in weeks not months! Lets stop the Trillions in stupid,very stupid wars and find a company that can take us to the planets. Notice I said companys and not the paper pushers and politicians at Nasa. Lets find a way to open the black programs and that technology to build a spaceship. Apollo capsules after 40 plus years is Ridiculous.

[daffy64]

There's nothing wrong with Apollo style capsules. Physics have not changed one bit. The teardrop shape and multi-stage rocket is a sound design. Conventional chemical rockets are just fine for going to Mars. They provide enough delta V. No breakthrough technologies are needed.

Going to Mars now is far less daunting than the technical challenges of going to the moon were when the goal was set.

It's the timid "we better not try it until it's perfectly safe" attitude that's holding us back.

Imagine if the pioneers to the continent had had that attitude.