NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a recent interview that his "foremost" mission as the head of America's space exploration agency is to improve relations with the Muslim world.

Though international diplomacy would seem well outside NASA's orbit, Bolden said in an interview with Al Jazeera that strengthening those ties was among the top tasks President Obama assigned him. He said better interaction with the Muslim world would ultimately advance space travel.

"When I became the NASA administrator -- or before I became the NASA administrator -- he charged me with three things. One was he wanted me to help re-inspire children to want to get into science and math, he wanted me to expand our international relationships, and third, and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science ... and math and engineering," Bolden said in the interview.

The NASA administrator was in the Middle East last month marking the one-year anniversary since Obama delivered an address to Muslim nations in Cairo. Bolden spoke in June at the American University in Cairo -- in his interview with Al Jazeera, he described space travel as an international collaboration of which Muslim nations must be a part.

"It is a matter of trying to reach out and get the best of all worlds, if you will, and there is much to be gained by drawing in the contributions that are possible from the Muslim (nations)," he said. He held up the International Space Station as a model, praising the contributions there from the Russians and the Chinese.

However, Bolden denied the suggestion that he was on a diplomatic mission -- in a distinctly non-diplomatic role.

"Not at all. It's not a diplomatic anything," he said.

He said the United States is not going to travel beyond low-Earth orbit on its own and that no country is going to make it to Mars without international help.

Bolden has faced criticism this year for overseeing the cancellation of the agency's Constellation program, which was building new rockets and spaceships capable of returning astronauts to the moon. Stressing the importance of international cooperation in future missions, Bolden told Al Jazeera that the moon, Mars and asteroids are still planned destinations for NASA.

Albatross wrote:Where's option 5: Send Barack Obama to the moon?

Tyras wrote:I'm glad NASA is being used as a PR tool to the Muslim nations instead of doing the mission they are chartered for...

On a non-sarcastic note I haven't seen much in the vein of bringing down cultural barriers coming from the Muslim world. Why is it even conceivable that the US Space Agency should have any duty in making nice with these countries? First, there is a sizable portion of the executive branch in the State Department that should be handling foreign relations and second damned near everything used in the space program has a dual use in military applications. Why the hell would we include sponsors or abetters of terrorism to gain access to technology that could further missile programs in the Middle East?

Pardon me for being foward thinking when the National Agency charged with the Country's endeavors in space is being tasked to play diplomat to Muslim nations.

third, and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science ... and math and engineering,"

Tyras wrote:Don't be so glum Shuma, The American flag next to your name means you can speak your opinon too. Were it the flag of a Muslim country, by the logic in Kronk's post, you wouldn't be allowed a free thought.

Tyras wrote:/pat Shuma on the head

It's gonna be ok. Maybe if you eat your veggies and drink your milk you'll grow up big and strong like your internet persona. Until then you can continue to hide behind arguments that you can't speak your mind in as nasty a manner as you'd like to because of the grown up's rules. That, and maybe you'll eventually have the capacity to read more than the face value of internet posts before vomiting all over your keyboard, spit up is always so disgusting.

You can voice your opinion and you can post drek on the Dakka forums are two different things.

Leaking dual use technology is a definite possibility if NASA were to form a working relationship with the science arms of Muslim governments.

"When I became the NASA administrator -- or before I became the NASA administrator -- he charged me with three things. One was he wanted me to help re-inspire children to want to get into science and math, he wanted me to expand our international relationships, and third, and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science ... and math and engineering,"

I'll have to do a little research, but I was unaware that Isreal, the Shah of Iran, or (as unsavory as he got there or turned out to be) Sadam were illegitimate.

I also find it amusing that a Nation under near constant attack and defending their population and interests in a region nearly completely hostile towards them, Isreal, is classified as a violent regime in your book.

As far as Iraq and the garden of eden that it was before the wicked Americans under the direction of the Crusader Bush goes, ya might want to step away from Sean Penn's talking points for a moment and educate yourself. The infrastructure was severely neglected for three decades in Iraq.

ShumaGorath wrote:

Leaking dual use technology is a definite possibility if NASA were to form a working relationship with the science arms of Muslim governments.

Stop right there.

"When I became the NASA administrator -- or before I became the NASA administrator -- he charged me with three things. One was he wanted me to help re-inspire children to want to get into science and math, he wanted me to expand our international relationships, and third, and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world and engage much more with dominantly Muslim nations to help them feel good about their historic contribution to science ... and math and engineering,"

This is the actual quote. Just stop posting. You haven't read the article, or if you have you're unable to comprehend it.

I'll have to do a little research, but I was unaware that Isreal, the Shah of Iran, or (as unsavory as he got there or turned out to be) Sadam were illegitimate.

They are as legitimate as Hamas or Achmadinejad. Also Israel is legitimate, I said legitimate OR violent. Much like with the headliner article I'm just going to assume you stopped reading after a few words. The legitimacy of governance is determined by national peers and citizenry. Few people in modern times considered the shahs government particularly even handed or competent.

I also find it amusing that a Nation under near constant attack and defending their population and interests in a region nearly completely hostile towards them, Isreal, is classified as a violent regime in your book.

Israel is under constant attack from the gaza strip, an area of land that they illegitimately (under UN law) occupy and embargo. They have also killed literally over 100 times as many Palestinians as they have lost to Palestinian attacks in the last 20 years.

Once again, you don't know gak.

As far as Iraq and the garden of eden that it was before the wicked Americans under the direction of the Crusader Bush goes, ya might want to step away from Sean Penn's talking points for a moment and educate yourself. The infrastructure was severely neglected for three decades in Iraq.

Yeah, and now it's gone. Magic! I don't use talking points, I use reality. Something you, and people like yourself are totally unaware of. You live in your magical GI Joe fantasy world and can't be bothered to actually observe the planet you live on, you just trust whatever half baked newsletter gives you your rhetoric for the week.

reds8n wrote: Either a really big ladder or a situation involving a lot of fat people, a n top class trampoline and that special springboard they built off the grand canyon.

No Shuma, you stop cause its plain as fething day YOU don't have a god damned clue as to what the feth you are talking about ESPICALLY when it comes to Iraq.

Iraq still has a working (though unstable at best) infrastructure. To suggest otherwise is completly stupid. How the hell do you think they get by on a daily basis! You don't speak in reality, you are speaking from your 4th point of contact.

Tell you what... spend a tour over there and see things with your own two eyes. Then come back and humble us oh great one.. and speak this truth... "reality".. to the rest of us.

Tyras wrote:I have observed the world I live in. Have you been outside of the United States for more than a vacation? I've lived in Europe. I've deployed to Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Columbia.

I have observed the world I live in.

Have you been outside of the United States for more than a vacation? I've lived in Europe. I've deployed to Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Columbia.

I have a much clearer vision of what the world is than you give me credit for.

While my opinions are pretty staunch on the right side of the political spectrum, you'res are just as staunch on the left.

So before you saddle up your high horse to talk down about how every opposing opinion is nothing more than a cut and paste from a newletter you might want to take a hard look at how you compose your own posts.

You claim that I didn't read the article. I claim that you didn't read anything more than the pixilated text in front of you and accepted it as a done deal. Noting here to see move along... I don't see it that way.

I don't see it that way. I read the article and put it into the context of Obama's attitude and policy towards Muslim nations. I believe that Obama would very much like to expand the US relationship beyond the cheerleader capacity he's using NASA for now.