Perry slams Obama for closing down NASA’s space shuttle program

Texas Gov. Rick Perry slammed the Obama administration on Thursday following the conclusion of NASA’s final space shuttle flight.

The Obama administration has left “American astronauts with no alternative but to hitchhike into space,” Perry said in a press release.

{mosads}”The Obama administration continues to lead federal agencies and programs astray,” Perry said, pushing for the administration to define its vision of NASA’s mission and return to what he called the agency’s “core purpose of manned space exploration.”

The Space Shuttle Atlantis landed safely at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida early on Thursday morning, marking the end of almost 30 years of NASA space shuttle flights.

Republicans have criticized the Obama administration for closing the program, though the decision to retire the space shuttles was originally made under the administration of former President George W. Bush in 2004.

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in a statement Thursday following the landing of Atlantis that NASA would “continue the grand tradition of exploration” following the conclusion of the space shuttle program.

“This final shuttle flight marks the end of an era, but today, we recommit ourselves to continuing human spaceflight and taking the necessary and difficult steps to ensure America’s leadership in human spaceflight for years to come,” Bolden said.

Perry criticized the lack of a clear path forward for NASA.

“Unfortunately, with the final landing of the Shuttle Atlantis and no indication of plans for future missions, this administration has set a significantly different milestone by shutting down our nation’s legacy of leadership in human spaceflight and exploration,” Perry said.

NASA is a major employer in Houston, thanks to the presence of Johnson Space Center. However, Perry could also be ramping up his criticism of Obama ahead of a rumored presidential bid.

Perry, the longest-serving governor in the U.S., is reportedly considering running for the Republican nomination for president in 2012.