the last few paragraphs of this article spell out my opinion on why a Moon
base is essential before going to Mars.

***

'American astronauts will walk on Mars'

January 09 2004 at 06:57AM

By Steve Holland and Adam Entous

Washington - Buoyed by a successful landing on Mars by a robot explorer,

President George Bush plans a major announcement on space policy next week
that envisions sending Americans back to the moon and ultimately to Mars,
officials and congressional aides said on Thursday.

Nearly a year after the shuttle Columbia exploded on re-entering the
atmosphere, sending Nasa into a deep spell of melancholy, Bush is expected
to outline a sweeping vision of US space leadership.

He is expected to propose a new lunar initiative leading to a permanent
American presence on the moon and a mission to Mars in the long term, said
the sources, who asked to remain unidentified.

'If we don't do it, somebody else will'
Speaking to reporters with Bush in Florida, White House Press Secretary
Scott McClellan said that after the Columbia tragedy Bush made clear his
desire for US space exploration to continue.

"The president directed his administration to do a comprehensive review of
our space policy, including our priorities and the future direction of the
programme, and the president will have more to say on it next week,"
McClellan said, declining to reveal any details in advance.

Bush is scheduled to be in Mexico on Monday and Tuesday so any

is not expected before Wednesday.

Congressional sources said the administration was also considering setting
up a more streamlined hierarchy for guiding the government's wide-ranging
space programs and coordinating its research and development.

Under this scenario, there could be more exchanges of technology between
Nasa and the defence department.

The goal should be to set up a research base on the moon
Some members of Congress are worried about ensuring the United States
remains the global leader in space exploration.

"If we don't do it, somebody else will," said Bart Gordon, a ranking
Democrat on the House Science Committee. "The Chinese, the Europeans and

Japanese all have the goal of going to the moon. Certainly we don't want

wake up and see that they have a base there before we do."

The new space plan was spearheaded in large part by Nasa administrator

O'Keefe, who was appointed by Bush to restore credibility to an agency
plagued by budget troubles, including billions of dollars in cost overruns
at the international space station.

Vice President ***** Cheney was also involved in the policy development,
along with other senior Bush advisers. The administration was said to see
the initiative as an important national security measure and experts said

could lead to new technologies and potential new sources of energy.

Bush's father, former president George Bush, had proposed a mission to

that was scuttled because of concerns over its high cost. The younger Bush
likewise faces budgetary constraints including a budget deficit expected

top $500-billion this year alone.

Experts say a moon mission could be done without a significant increase in
the budget by spreading the cost over seven to 10 years.

"You can use the existing infrastructure and be back on the moon in five

10 years with a modest investment. You don't have to double the Nasa
budget," said Paul Spudis, a planetary scientist at the Johns Hopkins
University Applied Physics Laboratory in Baltimore, Maryland.

Bush's election-year announcement is likely to face challenges from fiscal
conservatives and Democrats who want him to focus on domestic issues like
education and health care. But the ambitious proposal will strike a chord
with some lawmakers.

Experts said the goal should be to set up a research base on the moon to
test technologies that would be useful on a mission to Mars.

"The idea is to go to Mars. And the way you get to Mars is you go to the
moon and you practise three days from home. It's the equivalent of

Mount Rainier and preparing for Mount Everest," said Howard McCurdy, a
space-policy expert at American University in Washington.

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Bush's father, former president George Bush, had proposed a mission to Mars
that was scuttled because of concerns over its high cost. The younger Bush
likewise faces budgetary constraints including a budget deficit expected to
top $500-billion this year alone.

Experts say a moon mission could be done without a significant increase in
the budget by spreading the cost over seven to 10 years.

"You can use the existing infrastructure and be back on the moon in five to
10 years with a modest investment. You don't have to double the Nasa
budget," said Paul Spudis, a planetary scientist at the Johns Hopkins
University Applied Physics Laboratory in Baltimore, Maryland.

Bush's election-year announcement is likely to face challenges from fiscal
conservatives and Democrats who want him to focus on domestic issues like
education and health care. But the ambitious proposal will strike a chord
with some lawmakers.

Experts said the goal should be to set up a research base on the moon to
test technologies that would be useful on a mission to Mars.

"The idea is to go to Mars. And the way you get to Mars is you go to the
moon and you practise three days from home. It's the equivalent of climbing
Mount Rainier and preparing for Mount Everest," said Howard McCurdy, a
space-policy expert at American University in Washington.

'American astronauts will walk on Mars'