Successes and Disasters: 1985–1989

Abstract

In the FY 1986 budget submission to Congress in early 1985, President Reagan proposed to cut the magnetic fusion budget by another $50 M, to $390 M (recall that the budget had been reduced already by about $40 M in FY 1985 compared to FY 1984). He also proposed to cut the inertial confinement fusion program more than in half (from $168 M to $70 M). By the time Congress got through with this submission, the magnetic fusion FY 1986 budget had been cut even further, to $362 M, but the proposed inertial fusion cut had been largely restored (to $155 M). DOE, in its inertial fusion budget submission, had proposed to eliminate inertial confinement fusion as a separate program altogether and simply “bury” it within its multibillion-dollar weapons R&D category. Congress refused to go along with that proposal.

It’s perfectly natural to want all the facts and to hold out for the research that guarantees a particular program will work. That’s fine in theory, but real life just doesn’t work that way. At some point, you’ve got to take that leap of faith.

–Lee Iacocca

Chairman, Chrysler Corporation