Should President Obama visit space?

[retromike22]

Something I was thinking about today... Obama should visit space. It'll be a good public relations event, could boost support for NASA, etc.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

The Secret Service may be uneasy about such plans.

[Horus]

For some reason I really like this idea.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

There are a few who would want him to visit space without a spacesuit.

More seriously, it is a terrible idea.  Even without the fact that in order to get into space while still in office he'd need to ride a Soyuz, his going would only be a very expensive publicity stunt for a program that in its current form has no real justification for continuing.  The ISS is an expensive boondoggle that the sooner it is closed down and deorbited, the better.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

...

[Indy Texas]

How would he even find the time to do all the training you need to do in order to do that?

Obama no can into space. :/

[HagridOfTheDeep]

On the contrary... I think Obama needs to come back down to earth.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

I don't mind President Obama going to Space. I hope he enjoys being gravity free so much that he decides to resign and goes to live on the International Space Station!

[7,052,770]

Having to hitch a ride with the Russians (that's the only way to get there currently) would really highlight Obama's worst mistake as president, gutting our space program.

And even though space travel is pretty safe overall, it's much too dangerous for a sitting president.  Maybe he could do it in 2017 if he really wants to.

[Хahar 🤔]

He'll be one of the younger ex-Presidents ever, so if he wants to occupy his time doing that, I'd be all for it.

[Mordecai]

As Xahar said, he should do it after he leaves office.

[Likely Voter]

NASA is still testing various private replacements for the shuttle and wont have anything working until after Obama is gone.

I suspect that the first president to go into space will be a future POTUS on some form of sub-orbital spaceplane. In fact Ronald Reagan talked about such a plane in one of his SOTU speeches. NASA and DoD spent 10 years looking into the the National Aero-Space Plane (aka NASP) but ended the program in the mid 90s.



But there are some private companies (like Virgin Galactic) that are now looking at point to point sub-orbital transport. Eventually there will be an Air Force One that can fly from Washington to Beijing in a couple of hours. Maybe in the 2050s or so.

[Storebought]

Didn't we attempt something like this with Christa McAuliffe?

[ElectionsGuy]

Sure, if we can do that.

[TNF]

Yes, but only if he agrees not to return.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Yes, but only if he agrees not to return.

Obama died on the way back to his home planet.

[Flake]

I think everyone should visit space.

[MATTROSE94]

Having to hitch a ride with the Russians (that's the only way to get there currently) would really highlight Obama's worst mistake as president, gutting our space program.

And even though space travel is pretty safe overall, it's much too dangerous for a sitting president.  Maybe he could do it in 2017 if he really wants to.

I agree. I think that it is pretty awful that Obama reduced spending on our space programs.

[I Will Not Be Wrong]

Also agreed, that is one area I actually think we need to spend more in.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I have nothing against Obama visiting space and remaining there, so Biden could become President.

[TNF]

I have nothing against Obama visiting space and remaining there, so Biden could become President.

Also this. Biden might be an absolute disaster for all I care, but he'd be a President you could actually have a beer with. Plus, jesus christ, can you imagine how great The Onion would be?

[RosettaStoned]

 Imagine if John Glenn had been President. I'm sure he would have gone into space while in office.

[Mr. Morden]

This is the kind of thread topic that one would expect from phk or Mister Twister. 

[Princess Nyan Cat]

Something I was thinking about today... Obama should visit space. It'll be a good public relations event, could boost support for NASA, etc.

My first job out of college was on NASA's Constellation program, which was supposed to be the replacement for the Space Shuttle and provide America's manned space flight capability.

One of the very first things Obama did as president was to cancel this program and provide a poor replacement.  He clearly has no desire to "boost support for NASA."

I ended up being laid off because of this decision.  I then managed to get a job with a defense contractor, but the program I was hired to work on was cancelled too.  Not only was I laid off, but also my father and fiance who worked for the same company.

After each of us spent varying degrees of months to years out of work, we ended up having to move to different states to find jobs.  My mom is still in our original home because my parents couldn't afford the loss they'd take on their house, so they rarely even get to see each other.

And to top it off, I have cancer and lost my health care plan and doctors once Obamacare took effect. ("If you like your plan, you can keep your plan...") I now have to pay 4 times as much for the treatment I was getting just a couple months ago.

Hopefully this is an object lesson in why who you vote for matters!

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

With sincere respect for nyancat's experiences, other than commerce and defense, I'm glad he effectively gutted out NASA.  Perhaps if I understood the exact benefits of leaving orbit for exploration I'd change my  mind.  But not now.