February 5th, 2010
Why has NASA failed to Answer Call for Hydrogen Convergence?
There is a global competition going on to produce the first commercial hydrogen fuel cell aircraft. Examples of it can be seen on the Hydrogen Convergence YouTube channel. Unfortunately, NASA has not publicly entered the fray. NASA is by far the biggest consumer of hydrogen and hydrogen technology in the United States but it has not devoted any resources to help maintain America’s competitiveness.
Today Buzz Aldrin of Apollo 11 fame shed some light on the delay. In a Huffington Post article, Mr. Aldrin described the colossal system failure which has left the National Aeronautics and Space Administration a shell of its former self. Working and middle class Americans will not be shocked to hear the story of one more ponzi scheme that has robbed them of yet another critical asset.
President Barack Obama in his Fiscal Year 2011 budget has increased substantially funding for Earth Sciences Programs. However, President Obama has done nothing to help the United States remain competitive in the race to develop the first commercial hydrogen fuel cell aircraft. This task has been left to service members in the Air Force and Navy to handle with monies they’ve scrounged.
The plight of America’s Aviation Industry cannot be blamed on the Department of Energy. It can’t be dismissed as just another example of Secretary Chu not believing in hydrogen convergence. This actually points to a much bigger concern that was voiced by Frank Borman, another NASA pioneer, in a different time when he spoke of a “failure of imagination.”
Zachary Alexander
Concepts: Air Force, aviation, hydrogen, NASA, Navy, Obama