Entitlement Commitment Scuttles VSE?

Jeff Foust reports from Space Access ’08 conference in Phoenix on Friday.

Charles Miller, on the board of directions of the Space Frontier Foundation, made a presentation supposing federal commitments to millions of the Baby Boom demographic expected to retire and begin collecting Social Security, prescription drug subsidies, etc. These fiscal commitment don't just threaten the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) but to bankrupt the federal government, unless the children of the nation's expanding boom are willing to pay 85 percent of their earnings in taxes.

What Miller discussed, according to Foust, are alternatives there might be to maintain American space exploration as we face the very real possibility of the reduced percentage of GDP taxpayers will be willing to fund. Two possibilities exist, of course. Either expand the economy along the lines already proven possible in the 20th Century and/or limit regulation and expand incentives to the commercial space industry.

Foust's excellent summary from Space Politics can be read HERE.