Jan 19, 2008 8:56 am US/Eastern
Giuliani Campaigns To NASA Crowds
TITUSVILLE (CBS4) ―
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Darren McCollester/Stringer/Getty Images
Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani promised aerospace leaders Friday that he would work
to close the looming gap in the nation's manned space program if he lands in the White House.
"America should be No. 1 in space. We have been. We shouldn't lose that position. "We should be capable of developing a new launch vehicle and at
the same time keep up with our current commitments, and we shouldn't have to be dependent on other countries for what America should be able to do."
Giuliani, after a tour of the Kennedy Space Center, asked the more than 30 local aerospace leaders gathered at a nearby hotel
how and why the gap occurred, and what could be done about it.
Former shuttle astronaut Mike McCulley said "it's a money issue." "You just can't lay out a vision like President Bush laid out,
and not fund it," said McCulley, a retired aerospace executive.
Bush outlined a new vision for NASA exploration four years ago, calling for the retirement of the three remaining shuttles and
completion of the international space station by 2010, and the return of astronauts to the moon by 2020.
NASA has said repeatedly it could develop the new rocketship sooner with additional funding.
"That's an extremely long gap ... with no human access to space, to our own space station, our billion, billion, billion
dollar space station," McCulley told Giuliani.
The Economic Development Commission of Florida's Space Coast invited each of the 2008 presidential candidates to take part in
individual round-table discussions. Giuliani – campaigning relentlessly throughout Florida in advance of the state's Jan. 29
primary -- was the first to accept.
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