...Article...Obama Moves to Counter China With Pentagon-NASA Link

Looks like a classic trial balloon to me, to cancel the stick and go
with EELV's to me! Contrary to what the article says, cancelling
the stick means cancelling the moon...imho.

I've said many times, it's the Chinese that's driving our space policy now
and right into the hands of the Pentagon.

.................................

Obama Moves to Counter China With Pentagon-NASA Link
Demian Mclean - Fri Jan 2, 3:58 pm ET

(Excerpts)

Obama's transition team is considering a collaboration between
the Defense Department and the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration because military rockets may be cheaper and ready
sooner than the space agency's planned launch vehicle, which isn't
slated to fly until 2015, according to people who've discussed the
idea with the Obama team.

Obama has said the Pentagon's space program -- which spent
about $22 billion in fiscal year 2008, almost a third more than
NASA's budget -- could be tapped to speed the civilian agency
toward its goals as the recession pressures federal
spending.

The potential change comes as Pentagon concerns are rising
over China's space ambitions because of what is perceived as an
eventual threat to U.S. defense satellites, the lofty battlefield eyes
of the military.

To boost cooperation between NASA and the Pentagon, Obama
has promised to revive the National Aeronautics and Space Council,
which oversaw the entire space arena for four presidents, most
actively from 1958 to 1973.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20...g/aovrno0oj41g