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| Obama cancels Moon return project | |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| President Barack Obama has cancelled the American project designed to take humans back to the Moon. | President Barack Obama has cancelled the American project designed to take humans back to the Moon. |
| The Constellation programme envisaged new rockets and a new crewship called Orion to put astronauts on the lunar surface by 2020. | The Constellation programme envisaged new rockets and a new crewship called Orion to put astronauts on the lunar surface by 2020. |
| But in his federal budget request issued on Monday, Mr Obama said the project was "over budget, behind schedule, and lacking in innovation". | But in his federal budget request issued on Monday, Mr Obama said the project was "over budget, behind schedule, and lacking in innovation". |
| It was draining resources from other US space agency activities, he added. | It was draining resources from other US space agency activities, he added. |
| He plans instead to turn to the private sector for launch services. | He plans instead to turn to the private sector for launch services. |
| Constellation was initiated by President George Bush in the wake of the 2003 shuttle accident, which saw seven astronauts lose their lives when their vehicle broke up on re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere. | Constellation was initiated by President George Bush in the wake of the 2003 shuttle accident, which saw seven astronauts lose their lives when their vehicle broke up on re-entry to the Earth's atmosphere. |
| The idea was to retire the spaceplane and replace it with a new ship and new rockets capable of sending humans beyond low-Earth orbit. | The idea was to retire the spaceplane and replace it with a new ship and new rockets capable of sending humans beyond low-Earth orbit. |
| But critics claimed the programme was never properly funded, and when it ran into technical difficulties its time schedule also began to slip. | |
| Mr Obama is cancelling Constellation even though Nasa has spent some $9bn on the project already. | Mr Obama is cancelling Constellation even though Nasa has spent some $9bn on the project already. |
| President's budget request plans an investment of an additional $6bn in Nasa over the next five years - an overall $100bn commitment to the agency (its budget for 2011 would be $19bn). | President's budget request plans an investment of an additional $6bn in Nasa over the next five years - an overall $100bn commitment to the agency (its budget for 2011 would be $19bn). |
| He wants some of the extra funding to be used to incentivise private companies, to help them to bring forward a new generation of launchers to carry humans into orbit. | He wants some of the extra funding to be used to incentivise private companies, to help them to bring forward a new generation of launchers to carry humans into orbit. |
| As well as being a customer for these rockets, Nasa would also set and oversee standards in the nascent market, especially in matters that concerned crew safety. | As well as being a customer for these rockets, Nasa would also set and oversee standards in the nascent market, especially in matters that concerned crew safety. |
| In addition, Monday's funding boost would enable America to extend the operation of the International Space Station from 2015 to at least 2020. | In addition, Monday's funding boost would enable America to extend the operation of the International Space Station from 2015 to at least 2020. |
| The changes fit broadly with ideas put forward by a special panel convened last year by Mr Obama to review US human spaceflight options. | The changes fit broadly with ideas put forward by a special panel convened last year by Mr Obama to review US human spaceflight options. |
| The Augustine committee argued strongly in favour of giving the commercial sector a greater role in the nation's space programme. The panel members thought such an approach could reduce costs and even speed up the adoption of new technologies. | The Augustine committee argued strongly in favour of giving the commercial sector a greater role in the nation's space programme. The panel members thought such an approach could reduce costs and even speed up the adoption of new technologies. |
| The budget request is also aimed at | |
| Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk | Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk |