"Mars or Bust!" --NASA Shifts Future Missions to Deep Space
The Space Shuttle Atlantis will be the last of its kind sent to space by the U.S. NASA says it is interested in "deep space" exploration
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says that human space flight for America will not end with the retirement of the shuttle program. Instead, the space agency plans to refocus its efforts from lower-orbit vehicles to deeper space probes.
"Today NASA and the nation want to touch an asteroid and eventually send humans to Mars," he told a luncheon crowd at the National Press Club on Friday. Bolden highlighted two new NASA programs that will eventually "open up the entire solar system to us."
NASA is near a decision and announcement on a new heavy-lift rocket space launch system.
Shuttle Atlantis is scheduled for liftoff on July 8 for a 12-day mission to the International Space Station, marking the final flight for the shuttle program. NASA hopes to sign contracts with several U.S. companies to provide the services that shuttles currently provides.
"The space shuttle has been very good to this country. It is an incredible ship that is difficult to let go. In just one week from today, the space shuttle will rocket off the planet one last time. We will all be a little sad for a while," said astronaut Mark Kelly, who recently announced his retirement so that he could spend more time with recuperating wife Rep. Gabrielle Giffords.
The Daily Galaxy via Reuters.com
Comments
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When the politics speaks, the science becaming blunt.
Actually thoose International Space Station at it's present usage is nothing but nearly 200 bilion $ throwed at the Space.
The idea about "Outer reaches" building site on earth orbit is the actually the something which is worth spending for.
Developing "Fast Teraforming" and "Repowering magnetic shield" programs is the real target, not just nonsensual walks arround the Earth.
Mars is our laboratory, on which we can do experiments and learn about their developement without much risk of serious issues.
A permanent outpost on Mars with Terraformers team shall be the best to spend money on.
I wondering if there is spened 200 bilions $ in repowering the Mars core - would be this much better than just sending some metal craps on lower orbit ?
Posted by: Yordan Yanakiev | July 05, 2011 at 01:22 AM
There'll be a bunch of caching involved but hopefully no real crashing while it builds file-streams for the different resources you might find laying around any untidy space-ship and then the screen will show a star-scape and soon you'll get a text-box asking you how many images you want per quarter rotation.
Posted by: eBridge advertising | July 05, 2011 at 04:50 AM
those hguys make a whole lot of sense dude. WOw.
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Posted by: WuxRoo | July 05, 2011 at 04:18 PM
I guess it's clear these comments aren't reviewed before they are posted... the 2nd and 3rd are just spam, and the 1st is such broken English that it's nigh-unreadable.
Posted by: Tyler | July 05, 2011 at 05:33 PM
World leaders gathering in Italy for a summit this week will be able to don parkas designed by Belstaff, the maker of the movie star's jackets if things get stormy.
Posted by: Belstaff | July 05, 2011 at 06:57 PM
Good, that should be our next destination. It inspires children to want to be scientists and has given the world so many things from cordless power tools to smoke detectors.
Posted by: Jacob | July 05, 2011 at 09:52 PM
Deep Space Nine! That would be better!
Posted by: Olivia | July 05, 2011 at 09:53 PM
hell to-the-f**king yes
Posted by: Abigail | July 05, 2011 at 09:53 PM
Write this down. M.A.R.S. That's right! Mars, b!tches!
Posted by: Isabella | July 05, 2011 at 09:54 PM
It's easy to make plans that will have no hope in hell of getting funding. The manned space race turned out to be a marathon and Russia had the longest breath.
Posted by: Jacob | July 05, 2011 at 11:42 PM
manned space exploration gives mankind hope, makes people imaginative, makes them open minded and question things (like drugs) - is it any wonder 'they' want to discourage it as much as possible, in order to keep the people in check? instead of apollos 18-20 being allowed to find a site for a permanent moon base, you sabotage apollo 13 to ensure that never happens. that's a crime against the dreams of humanity. and that's not to even mention the 'great gagarin lie'. if they can spend 100s of billions on killing people in the middle east, why can't they spend it on fusion power, or space travel? isn't that the point of human existence? jeez! obama!
Posted by: urmaa | July 06, 2011 at 05:56 AM
http://billdietrich.byethost8.com/Reason/ReasonMannedSpaceProgram.html
Posted by: Bill Dietrich | July 06, 2011 at 06:08 AM
One would think that NASA would be able to build a large ship in SPACE by 2011.
WHEN...will be stop using 50 year old tech.
Posted by: Worldly | July 06, 2011 at 01:02 PM
Ah, I'm looking back at this and I'm thinking, "And what are they doing now? Sealcoating in Albuquerque? Custodial?" Poor NASA. Governments just don't even know what's good for them these days.
Posted by: thiagodaluz7 | April 17, 2013 at 01:52 PM