CNN Live from... - Transcript

CNN

SHOW: LIVE FROM... 13:00

January 13, 2004 Tuesday 1:17 PM Eastern Time

HEADLINE: Passing the Envelope

GUESTS: Bill Nelson

BYLINE: Miles O'Brien

HIGHLIGHT: Interview with Bill Nelson.

BODY:
MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: At the summit of Americas in Mexico today President Bush promised to lay out details of an ambitious new American space program tomorrow. It calls for a space station on the moon and eventually sending astronauts to Mars.

The plan is getting mixed reception in the polls. Joining me to talk about the space program is Democratic Senator Bill Nelson of Florida who in 1996 had the opportunity to fly on the space shuttle. Senator Nelson, good to have you with us.

SEN. BILL NELSON (D), FLORIDA: Thanks, Miles.

O'BRIEN: All right. The plan, as you know it-I know you're reading it through press accounts-generally is to by 2010 phase out the shuttle, complete the space station, and then move on to something with more of a destination in mind. A moon base and then perhaps onward. In concept, is that the right thing for NASA to be doing?

NELSON: It is a concept. What's important here is that we move forward and we have a greater vision because for the last decade, NASA has been in drift. And this is a major step as we go out and continue to explore the heavens. So I applaud it. As typically we would say, the devil's in the details.

O'BRIEN: It is. Now, the budget request is, relatively speaking, modest. Although there's not a lot of agencies getting increases right at the moment. Nevertheless, NASA has about a $15 billion budget, a fraction of the percent of the total budget. Asking for 5 percent raises to fund this, basically reallocating sources that are earmarked for shuttle and so forth.

Is that a realistic approach? Is that enough money to do what is going to be proposed tomorrow?

NELSON: The short answer is no. Five percent a year, you can't go back to the moon. You compare that to what President Kennedy did when he said, We're going to the moon. He doubled the budget and he doubled it again in the second year.

Now, that's not, obviously, realistic now under these fiscal constraints. But the fact is, spaceflight-you can't do it on the cheap. And we're going to have to reconcile that with our terrible budget deficit problem.

O'BRIEN: Is there the money to do it in a way that would be more in sync with your thinking?

NELSON: Well, I think we have to make the money available because space exploration is a fulfillment of part of the character of the American people. We are, by nature, explorers, and adventurers. And we don't want to give that up, otherwise, we become a second-rate nation.

O'BRIEN: Looking down rage here, say, around 2010, when the shuttle is in fact retired, it's quite possible there will be a gap. There won't be a vehicle the U.S. can fly to space. Don't know how long that gap might be. Is that something that would cause concern on Capitol Hill?

NELSON: Indeed, it would cause a great deal of concern and it would cause a great deal of concern about the development of the technologies and not having access to space as you are creating your next vehicle.

And always plan for things to take longer than what you originally expected them to be. So that gap of several years gives me great concern that we would not be flying humans.

O'BRIEN: The president is expected to say NASA should be exploring for the sake of exploration. And that's really the first time that NASA has said it in such clear terms. It's always been about other thing whether it was the Cold War or building the space station, international partnership, whatever the case may be. Is that the appropriate philosophy that should guide NASA?

NELSON: It is one philosophy and an important one-that we are fulfilling ourselves as explorers.

But there are plenty of other reasons, too. The development of new technologies. The spin off of space technology into our daily lives. There are so many of these things that can be very positive not the least of which, create a whole new generation of young people that are educated in high technology.

O'BRIEN: Do you predict a real donnybrook on Capitol Hill if this is debated?

NELSON: Not if handled properly and not if the president will give it the appropriate leadership. There's only one person that can lead the space program and that is the president or the vice president. And if they handle it, we can get through the Congress.

O'BRIEN: Would you sign yourself up for a trip to the moon or perhaps even Mars? Have you done your space flying?

NELSON: I keep doing my push-ups every morning and running my miles every morning so I'm ready.

O'BRIEN: All right. Is this the right time? Is NASA ready, do you think? Is that organization ready to do this?

NELSON: It's either make or break it. NASA's either got to become the visionary agency that it really has the capability of being or else it's going to drift off into mediocrity.

O'BRIEN: So think big or fold up the tent.

NELSON: That's what I think.

O'BRIEN: Senator Bill Nelson, Democrat of Florida, always a pleasure to have you drop by, thank you, appreciate it. On one of the key committees that will consider all of this as-I assume there will be hearings soon.

NELSON: Very soon.