NASA has always had, says author Tom Wolfe, "the right stuff." The attitude that infused the space program and its astronauts for a half-century is still present, though in danger of being smothered by layers of nostalgia and an antiquated business model.

President George W. Bush was so enthralled by what NASA was once able to do that he gave it a mandate to return to the moon by 2020. The former president saw it as a way to rekindle the American spirit and the public's enthusiasm for space and science.

Though his intentions were noble, a multibillion-dollar program to send Americans to the moon again, when there is no compelling science to be achieved by it, is an expensive gambit this nation can no longer afford.

President Barack Obama understands that repeating the glories of the past won't ensure a sustainable future for NASA. Even so, under his budget proposal unveiled Tuesday, the space agency can expect an infusion of $100 billion over the next half-decade.

The Obama administration wants to kill the Constellation program of the previous administration along with plans to build a new generation of rockets to carry American astronauts into low Earth orbit and beyond.

Mr. Obama has given NASA a new mandate: Pursue research and development, expand the use of robotics, develop in-orbit fuel depot technology, unmanned ships for deep space exploration and new rocket technologies in partnership with the private sector.

This is a fundamental shift in how NASA has done business. Instead of building and maintaining its own rockets, NASA will pay private companies to carry astronauts to the International Space Station. The billions paid for this service by NASA will help the private sector create new jobs.

Earth-bound politicians like Florida Gov. Charlie Crist object strongly to Mr. Obama's decision because his state is heavily invested in the way NASA used to do things. But in moving toward a more economical model of space exploration, emphasizing research and development over manned travel, NASA will be showing once again that it has the right stuff.

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