WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A 60th birthday party in the nation’s capital was the setting for a discussion about the past and future of NASA on Monday.
- NASA celebrated 60 years in Washington, D.C.
- Jim Bridenstine talked on stage with predecessors
- Discussion focused on NASA's past and future
Current NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine was joined on stage by two of his predecessors at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“So here we are celebrating the 60th anniversary of NASA,” Bridenstine said, opening the event.
The former Oklahoma congressman spoke to the crowd about why NASA’s progress beyond earth impacts our standing back on it.
“Whoever controls the technology controls the balance of power,” he said.
Bridenstine spoke alongside two men who held his position before him -- Sean O’Keefe and Charlie Bolden.
Each of them explained how the space agency acts as a window into what’s possible technologically and scientifically, while also serving as a vital tool for bringing foreign countries -- even adversaries -- to the table to talk with the United States.
“One of the strongest purveyors of soft power for this nation is NASA,” said former administrator Bolden.
Bridenstine was asked at the event about President Trump’s desire for a space force.
The administrator said he supports the idea, but he thinks any military forces protecting the United States in space should be separate from the work done within NASA.
But the bulk of the event focused on the future.
“We want to go to more parts of the moon than we’ve ever gone to before, with a sustainable architecture, where we can get back and forth on a regular basis, not just with humans, but also with robots,” Bridenstine said.
He said NASA is working diligently to keep up, work with, and surpass its competitors in space.
The agency is also figuring out how to incorporate private companies that are emerging as legitimate powers.
“The future that we have at NASA is just as bright as the history we have at NASA,” Bridenstine said.
He also said one of his biggest challenges moving forward is answering one question for a variety of situations: Should the government do this? Or buy it as a service from someone else?