Lost in Space

NASA has been bumbling around without much of a goal ever since they stopped sending people to the moon. Huge costs with small results, crash-landed failures, and the like have made most people lose interest in space. Bush, with his talk of a moonbase and men on Mars, is trying to bring a new grand goal to the space program. Charles Rousseaux writes:

In a sense, the president's vision marks the continuation of the Apollo missions, but there will be no more one- (or multiple Moon) shot wonders, no more marking time in low earth orbit. Instead, there will be a step-by-step move outwards. When humans reach the moon, they won't just grab a bite of green cheese and go. Instead, they'll survey, explore and begin building the infrastructure—shelters, machinery, fuel and water depots—for the next step outwards. They'll do the same when they reach Mars, the asteroid belt, the icy moons of Jupiter, and beyond.

I'm sympathetic—we should be out there in the solar system, working towards making sure our entire species and genetic history isn't wiped out by one apocalyptic asteroid. But I doubt the government can do this efficiently, no matter how bright the stars in their eyes are shining.