A Pragmatic Approach to Space

摘要

Rep. Ken Calvert of Corona, Calif., was a successful restaurateur and real estate broker when he was elected to Congress in 1992. Now he represents a district outside of Los Angeles that is near the heart of some of the top aerospace facilities and companies in the United States. One of his goals, he says, is to inject Southern California-style entrepreneurship and pragmatism into government, including NASA. Calvert's new position as chairman of the influential House Science Committee's space and aeronautics subcommittee could be his best chance to do it. The subcommittee starts the process of drafting the annual authorization bill that House members look to as the leading voice on NASA policies and spending priorities. NASA's budget might be flush by some standards, but die agency is trying to do so much in its new Vision for Space Exploration that efficiency will be more important than ever, Calvert says. He took time out between congressional votes to speak by phone recently with Space News correspondent Ben lannotta.