HUNTSVILLE, AL—
On Friday morning, Mayor Tommy Battle unveiled the "Second To None Initiative," his task force for space exploration. It brings together a group of community leaders and national experts with the goal of protecting NASA's future in Huntsville.Mayor Battle spoke at a news conference, along with former U.S. Representative Robert E. "Bud" Cramer. The task force's goal is to restore full funding to NASA's Constellation program.
The "Second to None Initiative" will include the following community leaders:
- Bud Cramer - Task Force Chairman
- Joe Alexander - Camber Corporation
- Rose Allen - Booz, Allen, Hamilton
- Bruce Anderson - Alabama Development Office
- Ed Buckbee, former director of U.S. Space & Rocket Center
- Angie Calvert, Davidson Technologies
- Jim Chilton, Boeing
- Steve Cook, Dynetics
- Tommy Dillard, ATK
- Kim Doering, United Space Alliance
- Mike Griffin, UAHuntsville
- John Gully, SAIC
- Shar Hendrick, The Hendrick Group
- John Horack, UAHuntsville
- Andrew Hugenie, Alabama A & M University
- Dave King, Dynetics
- Don Nalley, Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce
- Elizabeth Newton, UAHuntsville
- Ed Pruitt, Lockheed Martin
- Joe Ritch, Tennessee Valley BRAC Task Force
- Dennis Smith, MEI
- Irma Tuder, Analytical Services
- Joe Vallely, City of Huntsville
- Mike Ward, Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce
- Tom Young, Kord Technologies
Mayor Battle is charging the Task Force to be an advocacy group for a national space policy that includes the Constellation program and to support Congressional leaders who will work to restore the Constellation program in NASA's budget. Among the elements of the Constellation program are the Ares I and Ares V rockets currently being developed to replace NASA's Space Shuttle program. The Marshall Space Center is the lead NASA center for Ares development.
"I am forming this bi-partisan, community-wide Task Force to help deliver the message that America should be "Second to None" in human space exploration and NASA should lead this nation, as it has for the past 60 years, in developing the rockets and systems to take men and women to space," said Mayor Battle. "Without the Constellation program, we take this nation out of the human space flight business, with no clear vision, no proven plan, and no timeline for when America will fly again. I am concerned that it could well be a generation lost, in talent and time before this nation returns to human space flight. This is not the path this country should take and we as a community should support our Congressional delegation to find the right course for a national space policy."
Mayor Battle recently wrote a letter to President Barack Obama, asking him to reconsider his budget, which proposes the Constellation program be cut. The president does propose more money for NASA, for other areas.
We'll have more coverage of this story today on WHNT NEWS 19 at Noon, 5:00 and 6:00.
