NASA's latest moon mission was postponed today due to technical difficulties. As it turns out, Congress had agreed to fund the program but insisted that old parts from the Shuttle Era be used to reduce the cost of the project. As one might expect, just the opposite result has occurred.
While Congress has the right to fund or defund science programs, they are not qualified to dictate how the programs should be managed. Indeed, a significant percentage of Congress members are Conservative Christians and that mysticism often conflicts with science, a phenomenon that we have recently observed with regard to abortion rights and science education.
Perhaps it is best that all science programs be funded and managed by the private sector, free from the influence of politics and mysticism. One might argue whether the value of the moon mission justifies its cost but we cannot allow politicians to meddle with scientific data or methods.
See also: Politics & Science from June of 2014
