You seem to want to place the blame on Griffin's (NASA's) "bosses", but there's no truth to that. NASA's budget requests are being approved - they are getting the money they are requesting -" (snip)<br /><br />Do you really understand how the budget and procurement "game" is played in and around "Foggy Bottom"?<br /><br />Griffin most likely sent a preliminary budget to whomever is above him in the chain of command. They (and their staff) took a look at it, and having talked with the budget troops on the congressional staff were told "it won't fly", but this is the figure that MIGHT. This information was communicated back down the chain of command to Griffin and his budget people, who revised the proposal. When it went into the main proposal, it was then approved "as proposed". <br /><br />It may not have been what YOU or the scientists, or even Griffin LIKE. Politics is the art of the possible. You don't play the game and the people with the purse strings are liable to pick up ALL the marbles and go home!<br /><br />Get this straight...everybody...unless we keep our committments to our foreign partners in ISS, we will NOT get any future co-operation! Without future co-operation from other countries there will NOT be enough money to do the things we would ALL like to see done in SPACE!<br /><br />Griffin WANTS and is WILLING to send up a mission to Hubble. But he is NOT omniscient! The Shuttle fleet isn't even operational again, yet! Every precaution and investigation APPEARS to be being done by NASA, BEFORE the next flight can launch!<br /><br />But, make no mistake! Should an orbiter so much as skid off the side of the runway due to a blown tire and wash out the bird, the rest of the STS program could end. And, God forbid, we lose another crew...for whatever reason...kiss the STS program goodbye! Then, it's "Katie bar the door!"<br /><br />As far as the Republican conservatism being a "problem" for some research projects, I don't recall there being much in the way