Congress Fidgeting

Some members of Congress are becoming impatient with the slow pace to date in developing private spacecraft capable of delivering cargo to ISS. NASA assures them that progress is being made, and indeed SpaceX is poised to launch its first Dragon mission to ISS, but everybody in Congress isn't satisfied.

Let's be clear-- Congress knew for years the space shuttle program was ending, because Congress mandated it end. and did not engineer a successor vehicle that would be ready immediately after the shuttle. Congress did establish the Constellation Moon-Mars program, which included the Orion capsule, but then canceled Constellation. Orion is still being developed, but Congress has made no move to hasten its development. NASA has a program to aid private companies in creating cargo, and eventually man-rated, spacecraft, but Congress in its wisdom reduced the funding for that program.

Perhaps members of Congress need to look at themselves and their fellow members before growling at other people to do a better job. That goes for areas beyond space policy, as well.