Now things might change again, two Senators appear to want to extend the orbiter program as long as possible. They say a shuttle type design is the only correct vehicle for finishing the space station and pursuing President Bush's man on Mars objective.
Hadn't GWB vowed to retire the orbiter by 2010 come hell or high water ?
The Senators Mr Bill Nelson and KAy Bailey Hutchinson have said first step of this new journey to explore with this new mission is to finish the work on the International Space Station and fulfill the commitment to the US partners and allied nations. They go on to describe safety, the costs in finance, complete the work on the ISS and do the shuttle and the goal to Mars they made a special to florida today. Here's a quote
Quote:
This month marks the 35th anniversary of man's first footsteps on the moon. Yet while we commemorate Apollo 11, the pioneers who manned it and the great spirit of discovery that still dwells in us today, the question of the future of manned space flight looms in front of us.
After World War II, the United States raced the clock and the Soviets to travel to space. The world's two superpowers struggled to demonstrate their military might, technical expertise and political strength.
Before a watchful world, the Soviets were first into orbit, but we would be the first to land on the moon. It was a major victory over communism for our system of free enterprise and innovation.
After the Cold War, the United States merged NASA's space station program with Russia's. A rivalry born out of the nuclear arms race has become a key partnership. The International Space Station program now includes Canada, Europe and Japan in addition to Russia. Our obligations to the continuation of space exploration lie not only with the American people, but with our international partners who have invested in good faith.
Unfortunately, since we staked our claim, burrowed our flagpole into the dusty moon terrain and claimed victory in space, we have done little to expand NASA's mission...
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it goes on , the rest can be read here
http://www.flatoday.com/news/space/s...718WNELSON.htm
Did anyone hear anymore on this idea ?