Retired NASA astronaut Eugene Cernan, who flew aboard Apollo 17, was among the group of NASA astronauts that endorsed Republican presidential candidate Romney Saturday.
Former NASA administrator Mike Griffin, and Bob Crippen, the first NASA astronaut to board a space shuttle pilot, were among the other NASA vets to endorse Mr. Romney on Saturday.
The former Massachusetts governor’s campaign team posted an open letter from the group of NASA vets on his presidential campaign website.
On Tuesday, Mr. Gingrich made the bold proposal that he would help establish the first ever moon colony by the year 2020, which would be the last year of his first term as president if he were to be elected president this year.
Along with their endorsement for Mr. Romney, Mr. Cernan and the others expressed their disappointment with President Barack Obama.
During the summer of 2011, NASA flew its final space shuttle mission after the president announced he would like to see NASA focus on developing the ability for deep space exploration. Many NASA officials were critical of the president’s decision at that time.
Mr. Gingrich’s moon colony proposal became a hot topic along the campaign trail, as supporters called it bold while detractors called it “grandiose,” in the words of rival Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum.
The open letter from the NASA group did not mention Mr. Gingrich or his moon colony idea, but their timing and selection of Mr. Romney out of all of the remaining Republican presidential candidates is clearly is a statement to Mr. Gingrich’s space exploration ideas.
“We support Mitt’s candidacy and believe that his approach to space policy will produce results instead of empty promises,” said the group of NASA vets in the letter. “As president, Mitt Romney will facilitate close collaboration not only within the government’s civil and national security space sectors, but also with the private sector and with research institutions.”
During the Thursday night presidential candidate debate in Tampa Bay, Mr. Romney was asked if he would pursue Mr. Gingrich’s idea of establishing a colony on the moon.
“Of course the space coast has been badly hurt and I believe in a very vibrant and strong space program,” said Mr. Romney Thursday. “To define the mission for our space program, I’d like to bring in the — the top professors that relate to space areas and physics, the top people from industry. Because I want to make sure what we’re doing in space translates into commercial products.”
In the open letter, the group of retired NASA personnel also criticized President Obama.
“We have watched with dismay as President Obama dismantled the structure that was guiding both the government and commercial space sectors,” said the NASA group in the letter.
The latest Public Polling Policy poll of likely Florida Republican primary voters shows Mr. Romney holding a substantial lead over Mr. Gingrich with just two days remaining until the Florida Republican primary election.
The endorsement from the NASA group is sure to provide him a boost from space enthusiasts throughout the Sunshine state and nationwide as he continues to pursue the Republican nomination.
