NASA Budget Cuts Could Cost 7,000 Florida Jobs

Rather then return to the moon, NASA could be forced to send 7,000 workers at the Kennedy Space Center to the unemployment line.

President Obama’s proposed budget calls for an end to NASA’s Constellation program, which involves the development of a new manned space vehicle and a return to the moon by 2020. Instead, the White House is proposing hiring private companies to develop and build the spacecraft.

The Washington Post wants to gauge the public’s reaction to the president’s proposed plans with a poll entitled “Should Obama cut NASA funding for manned lunar missions?” Click here to show your support for workers at the Kennedy Space Center.

In a letter to President Obama, IAM President Tom Buffenbarger warned of significant domestic job losses, potential security breaches and the loss of important new technologies if the administration moves forward with its plan to have NASA rely on the private sector to develop and operate the nation’s manned space program.

“The push to privatize space travel is similar to efforts to privatize other critical government services,” said Buffenbarger. “These efforts are based on anti-government ideology and are promoted by companies that want to profit from government outsourcing.”