Obama Still Working on Fulfilling Space Promises Says Politifact's Truth-o-Meter

President Obama has only kept seven of the 19 space-related promises he made during his campaign according to Politifact’s “Truth-O-Meter.” Eight others are “in the works” and four are “stalled.” Politifact is a project of the St. Petersburg Times that tracks whether politicians are good to their word. As the President’s first year in office comes to a close, Politifact has finished rating his performance on promises about the space program to date. Here’s the scorecard. For more details and the reasoning behind the ratings, see the Politifact website.

Promises Kept (7)

• Add another space shuttle flight
• Use the private sector to improve space flight
• Partner to enhance the potential of the International Space Station
• Use the International Space Station for fundamental biological and physical research
• Explore whether International Space Station can operate after 2016
• Work toward deploying a global climate change research and monitoring system
• Enhance earth mapping

Promises “In the Works” (8)

• Speed up development of the next-generation space vehicle
• Work with international allies on Space Station
• Support human mission to moon by 2020
• Improve climate change data records
• Increase commercialization benefits from space technology
• Support commercial access to space
• Revise regulations for export of aerospace technology
• Establish school programs to highlight space and science achievements

Promises Stalled (4)

• Seek code of conduct for space-faring nations
• Re-establish the National Aeronautics and Space Council
• Conduct robust research and development on future space missions
• Increase spending to prepare for longer space missions