I'm not against technology development at all. In fact, as McNutt noted in the SpaceDaily piece, an exciting new Discovery-class mission, Dawn, has been truly enabled by solar electric propulsion validation. Moreover, I was originally trained as an aerospace engineer before transitioning over to the ivory-towered world of Pure Science. I fully appreciate the role of research and development into futuristic technologies.

That said, as a scientist I have seen too many times where "promises" of technological revolutions that are claimed to be "right around the corner" or "within grasp given sufficient funding" turn into nothing but broken promises and vaporware/pipe dreams. Further, some critical science missions with hard deadlines (set by celestial mechanics) can be launched with current, cheaper technology. It makes absolutely no sense, either from a strategic or tactical viewpoint, to wait for an expensive "if" when a cheaper solution is at hand. I am speaking specifically of New Horizons and Pluto-Kuiper Belt (not PKE or Europa Orbiter). At any rate, if we have waited this long to initiate (at the very least a decade long program) what all the techies are claiming will be a revolution in space propulsion, what is another two years. The funding levels for the first couple of years of the proposed NSI research program is not anything to get excited about and, in fact, appears to be a political bone being tossed at NASA Glenn (Ohio congressional delegation) and NASA Marshall (Alabama delegation).

Alex R. Blackwell
Unversity of Hawaii