The decision of the Obama administration to annul NASA’s Constellation program has not only cast a cloud of uncertainty over the future of the space agency’s manned space flight, but has also raked widespread criticism from the aerospace community.

Expressing skepticism about Obama’s new strategy for NASA – which proposes spending on new spaceflight technologies, and contracting out the astronauts’ low-Earth orbit ventures to commercial firms -, all the congressional delegates from Florida, including Republicans as well as Democrats, have sent an objection letter to the president.

Though the Obama-proposed strategic change for NASA necessitates Congress’ approval, lawmakers in space-jobs-rich states of Florida, Alabama and Texas have opined that the Obama plan would be a job-killer. Criticizing Obama’s NASA policy, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Tex.) has said that the proposed strategy will practically end “America's decades-long dominance of space.”

In addition, doubters of Obama’s space plans have increasingly been filling op-ed pages and space blogs to voice their dissent.

Expressing shock at the way in which Obama is handling the country’s space program, former senator and Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt, said: “It’s bad for the country. This administration really does not believe in American exceptionalism.”

Meanwhile, sensing the displeasure that Obama’s NASA strategy is drawing, the White House Sunday announced that the president will headline a conference on NASA policy in Central Florida on April 15.