US candidates’ positions on space, its exploration

The issue of space and its exploration barely make a strong showing in presidential campaigns in the United States, yet the US Planetary Society is keeping a track of where the candidates stand on the subject for space lovers.

Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton has appeared as one of the most passionate patrons of space.

“I really, really do support the space program,” she has said, also referring to the “investment we’ve made in science and research” in the past as a “great advantage” resulting in a “huge economic boom.”

“I would like to see us continue explore space,” Clinton has said, further voicing support for partnership with the private sector but with some pre-conditions.

“I don’t have an objection to partnering with commercial partners, but they are more in the applied science arena, not the discovery science arena which only the government can support.”

“I wanted to be an astronaut. So when I was about 13, I wrote to NASA and asked what I needed to do to try to be an astronaut. And of course, there weren’t any women astronauts, and NASA wrote me back and said there would not be any women astronauts. And I was just crestfallen.”

Jeb Bush seems to have more first-hand experiences, given he has served as the governor of a major space state, Florida.

The GOP candidate, whose father George H.W. Bush and brother George W. Bush have made significant policy proposals for space, says he is not “obsessed” with the matter.

"I'm not obsessive about space but I think it's part of our identity as a culture," he has said. "If you are ever in central Florida and there's a launch, let me know."

Asked once by a young boy if NASA had been closed, Bush said, "It's not closed, but it's lost its purpose. There is no big aspirational purpose.”

“Up! Up!  I'm a space guy. I think we need to be aspirational as a country,” he has said.

Jeb’s fellow republican, Ted Cruz, seems to be more practical when it comes to space.

Apart from representing Texas, a major space state, he has been chairing the Senate’s Subcommittee on Space, Science and Competitiveness.

"As chairman [of the Senate Space Subcommittee] I have made it a priority to ensure American leadership in space by producing a stronger and more efficient launch capability for the US. To further solidify America's leading role in the commercial space sector, I introduced the bipartsian US Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act, which builds upon the work of the Reagan administration and recognizes the vital role that the private sector plays along with NASA and our international partners," the senator has said.

The Cruz-sponsored bill, now signed into law by US President Barack Obama, extended the life of the International Space Station until 2024 apart from providing support for commercial space initiatives.

Cruz also maintains GOP’s mainstream idea about climate change, which he links to space exploration to criticize the Obama administration.

“One of the real problems with the Obama administration is they’ve de-emphasized space exploration. They’ve de-emphasized the hard sciences, and they’re diverting more and more of the NASA budget to political agendas like studying global warming instead of fulfilling the core mission of NASA.”

Cruz hopes to “help refocus” what he believe are the true “priorities” of NASA.

“I would suggest that almost any American would agree that the core function of NASA is to explore space. That’s what inspires little boys and little girls across this country. It’s what sets NASA apart from any other agency.”

Apart from its “excitement,” space exploration also has some “side benefits,” according to Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, but only if the basic needs of the people are met first.

“I am supportive of NASA not only because of the excitement of space exploration, but because of all the additional side benefits we receive from research in that area,” the Vermons senator has said. “Sometimes, and frankly I don't remember all of those votes, one is put in a position of having to make very very difficult choices about whether you vote to provide food for hungry kids or health care for people who have none and other programs. But, in general, I do support increasing funding for NASA.”

There are also those who have implied that the program is unnecessary as the country is facing more serious issues.

"In the old days, it [NASA] was great. Right now, we have bigger problems, you understand that. We have to fix our potholes. We don't exactly have a lot of money," GOP front-runner Donald Trump has said.

He, however, has expressed support for privatization of the space industry.

"You know, space is actually being taken over privately, which is great. It's being taken over, a lot of private companies going up into space. I like that maybe even better."

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