Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney added nothing new about his plans for the space program during a brief speech in Cape Canaveral, FL.

Romney repeated what he said during two primary debates on Monday and last night that he wants to hear advice from scientists, industrialists, defense experts and NASA before making any decisions.

Calling President Obama’s space program a failure, he asserted it was time to have a “vision for a space program for the people of the United States of America.”   If this was the politics of the past, he said, he would come to the Space Coast and promise billions of dollars and lay out what his mission is, “but I’m not going to do that.”  Referring to his experience in the private sector, he said that before making tough decisions, work has to be done in terms of defining objectives, getting data and hypotheses to determine the choices, and only then selecting an objective and finding a leader to deliver it.  His remark about promising billions of dollars appeared to be a swipe at his rival, Newt Gingrich, who make a speech on Wednesday doing just that.

He outlined what he sees as four objectives of the space program, calling each of them a “critical priority”:   the “existential” objective of understanding the universe and its effects on the Earth, such as climate or the possibility of a “catastrophic event”; commercial; the health and well-being of citizens; and defense.   Collectively, those objectives make the space program “an integral part of America’s exceptionalism.”

Romney paid tribute to those lost in the space shuttle Challenger tragedy, which occurred 26 years ago tomorrow.  Saying that we must not forget the sacrifices made for the space program, he told the story of visiting a Boy Scout troop in Massachusetts a couple of years ago and hearing a story about the American flag sitting in the room.    The flag had first flown above the U.S. Capitol and then the troop decided they wanted it to fly on the space shuttle.   They arranged to do that and it flew on Challenger and the scouts watched the shuttle “explode before their very eyes.”  Later, the Troop Leader contacted NASA to determine if any remnants of the flag survived.   After many months, the flag was returned “in perfect condition” although some medallions that had been in the container next to it were melted and fused together.  He said “it was like electricity” when he touched the flag, thinking of the sacrifices that made been made.

Most of the rest of the speech, which lasted only about 15 minutes, was standard campaign fare.

As reported here earlier today, a letter in support of Romney was posted on the candidate’s website today from a group of well known space policy veterans.  The group is led by Scott Pace, Director of George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute, who is identified in the letter as head of Romney’s space policy advisory group.   Others who signed include former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin and former astronauts Gene Cernan and Bob Crippen.

UPDATE:  Florida Today says it will cover Romney’s visit to Astrotech live, and is already running video apparently from that location.

Mitt Romney’s website still has him scheduled to appear at the Astrotech facility in Cape Canaveral, FL this afternoon at 4:45 pm ET where he is expected to expand on his plans for the space program if he is elected.  Meanwhile, a letter posted on Romney’s website reveals that Scott Pace is heading his space policy advisory team.

Last night at the CNN Florida Republican presidential primary debate in Jacksonville, all four Republican presidential candidates, including Romney, were given an opportunity to expound about the space program.  Romney’s current chief opponent in the race, Newt Gingrich, presented his bold plan for space — including a lunar base by 2020 — at a speech on Wednesday.   Last night, a member of audience asked what the candidates’ plans were for “manned space flight and the future of NASA” and moderator Wolf Blitzer expanded the question to bring in views about Gingrich’s lunar base proposal.

Romney called it “an enormous expense.”   Saying he believes “in a very vibrant and strong space program” and wants to bring together experts to advise him about it, he cautioned that he is “not looking for a colony on the moon.  I think the cost of that would be in the hundreds of billions if not trillions.  I’d rather be rebuilding housing here in the U.S.”

This afternoon’s event is listed on his website as scheduled for 4:45-6:00 pm at Astrotech’s facility at 620 Magellan Road, Cape Canaveral.  Edward Ellegood of Florida Space Report tweeted that he expects Romney to introduce some of the experts he plans to consult. 

The Romney campaign may have tipped its hand already, posting a letter of support from some well known players in the space policy arena.  The authors of the letter assert that Romney will “restore America’s space program.”  The letter was signed by Scott Pace, Director of George Washington University’s Space Policy Institute and who served as a NASA Associate Administrator under former NASA Administrator Mike Griffin.  Griffin also signed the letter.   Pace is identified as “chair of the Romney Space Policy Advisory Group” and interestingly does not mention his NASA service, but notes his earlier tenure at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.   Others who signed are Mark Albrecht, former Executive Director of the White House National Space Council under the first President Bush; former astronauts Gene Cernan and Bob Crippen; Peter Marquez, formerly on the staff of the White House National Security Council under the second President Bush and in the early years of the Obama Administration (he is credited with pulling together President Obama’s National Space Policy); Eric Anderson of Space Adventures; and William Martel from Tufts University.   

UPDATE (Jan. 26, 2012, 7:20 pm ET):    Edward Ellegood @FLspacereport tweets that the Romney visit to Astrotech will now be at 4:45 pm ET tomorrow instead of 3:00. 

ORIGINAL STORY:  Rick Santorum, one of Newt Gingrich’s rivals for the Republican presidential nomination, has canceled his scheduled appearance on Saturday at the Space Coast Tiger Bay luncheon according to Florida Today.  Another rival, Mitt Romney, still plans to visit Cape Canaveral tomorrow, however.

Gingrich visited the area yesterday and laid out his bold plans for the future of the space program.  He and Romney had previewed their visions for space activities during the Republican primary debate on Monday.  Santorum and Ron Paul, the fourth candidate remaining in the contest, were not asked about space during that debate, but Santorum had been expected to share his views at Saturday’s event.     Florida Today quotes a Santorum campaign volunteer as saying only that she was notifed Santorum would be out of town and unable to attend the luncheon.

Meanwhile, Romney will visit Astrotech in Cape Canaveral at 3:00 pm ET tomorrow, Florida Today reports.  The event is open to the public. 

Another Republican presidential primary debate is scheduled for tonight in Jacksonville, FL at 8:00 pm ET.  It will be carried on CNN.  The Florida Republican primary will be held on January 31.