When U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson announced in early April he wanted to lasso an asteroid, he wasnt joking.
As strange as it sounds, Nelson is seeking $2.6 billion from Congress to fund a National Aeronautics and Space Administration project that, if successful, would have a robot-controlled space vehicle capture an asteroid and bring it into the Moons orbit for observation.
Experts say the project could yield scientific benefits that might one day lead to far more ambitious endeavors, like asteroid mining and a manned mission to Mars. But even enthusiasts like John Matson, associate editor of the Scientific American, wonder if Nelsons asteroid is really just make-work or creating a destination just so we have somewhere to go.
A closer look into Nelsons campaign finance records and congressional earmark history may shed some light as to why Floridas unassuming senior senator made such a vocal appeal only days prior to President Barack Obamas new proposed budget.
In addition to being a scientific mission, Nelsons space odyssey may also be an intentional attempt to steer new government contracts to some of the same interest groups and private-sector companies that contributed to his recent re-election campaign.
Nelson, a newly re-elected, three-term senator from a large and electorally significant state, is first among all senators in total contributions received from the air transport industry and the air transport unions; Nelson is second in line with respect to defense electronics firms, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
In addition, three of Nelsons top five aggregate contributors in the last election cycle were from Finmeccanica SpA, Indyne Inc., and Harris Corp. Nelsons top contributor was Morgan & Morgan, a high-profile law firm that currently employs former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist.
Finmeccanica is a global aerospace and defense company with particular interests in aeronautics, defense electronics and space transportation. Harris Corp. is a communications and information technology company located in Nelsons hometown of Melbourne, Fla.
Indyne is a high-technology firm that, according to its website, specializes in large complex government contracts. Indyne has five facilities across Florida and three in the Washington, D.C., area. The firm has also been listed by Government Executive magazine as one of NASAs top 25 contractors.
Florida Watchdog analyzed 447 federal earmarks that Nelson either solely directed or co-requested from 2008-10 and found extensive ties to aeronautics, defense, and space-related interests. The information was provided by the Sunlight Foundation and is the most recent data available.
According to the data, Nelson earmarked over $3.1 billion within the two-year span. Of the 447 total earmarks, 140 stemmed from defense and military construction bills, including 37 of the top 50 most expensive.
Lockheed Martin was effectively given $4 million by Nelsonand four other colleagues in 2010. Lockheed Martin also contributed to Nelsons 2012 re-election campaign and is NASAs top government contractor.
Other NASA contractors receiving earmarks from Nelson include Alliant Techsystems Inc. and Honeywell Inc. The Kennedy Space Center also received earmarked funds from Nelson.
This is part of what will be a much broader program, said Nelson in a media release from his Senate website. Florida Watchdog contacted Nelsons office but did not receive a response.
Obama has already pledged $100 million in seed money for the asteroid project, which -- if approved -- is scheduled for completion in 2021.
Contact William Patrick at William@FloridaWatchdog.org
