NASA Olans to return to moon ... with new space vehicles

[Stu]

With a new generation of space vehicles designed to be more powerful and safer than the aging fleet of shuttles that will soon be retired, NASA plans to put humans on the moon again by 2018, after an absence of almost half a century, the agency's administrator said today.

The next generation of spacecraft, similar in shape to the Apollo space capsules, will use an improved, blunt-body crew capsule that will accommodate up to six people, the administrator, Michael D. Griffin, said at a news conference. The new rocket could be orbiting in space by 2014.

The new program is NASA's response to the vision for space exploration laid out by President Bush on Jan. 14, 2004, five months after the Columbia accident board's report.

Mr. Bush said then that he wanted the United States "to explore space and extend a human presence across our solar system." He also called for the retirement of the space shuttles by 2010 and the creation of the crew exploration vehicle for ferrying astronauts to the international space station and ultimately to the moon and Mars.

The last manned mission to the moon was Apollo 17 in 1972. With this new plan, approved by the White House on Friday, the new mission could take four people to the moon by 2018, two years ahead of the deadline that Mr. Bush set in 2004.

Dr. Griffin said the new moon program could cost $104 billion dollars but that whenever practical NASA will seek international and commercial involvement.

"This spacecraft and its systems will build upon the foundation of the proven designs and technologies used in the Apollo and space shuttle programs, while having far greater capability," he said in a statement issued before the news conference.

"It will be able to carry larger and heavier cargoes into space and allow more people to stay on the moon for longer periods of time," he said.

The spacecraft will be 10 times safer than the shuttle, NASA officials said in a statement, because of its design and its launch-abort system. "Should conditions warrant," the statement said, "the spacecraft and crew can separate from the upper stage of the launch vehicle and make a safe landing on land or in water."

The shuttle has had two fatal accidents in 114 missions. One of the accidents occurred shortly after liftoff.

The new spacecraft can be configured either to support human explorers or fly cargo into space with no humans at the controls onboard. Its design allows the flexibility to ferry crews of three astronauts, plus additional supplies, to and from the International Space Station, take four crew members to lunar orbit and eventually maintain up to six astronauts on a mission to Mars.

Dr. Griffin said the new rocket would be "very Apollo-like, with updated technology."

"Think of it as Apollo on steroids," Agence France-Presse quoted him as saying.

At the news conference, Dr. Griffin was also asked whether it was appropriate to be spending so much on the space program when the president has just pledged federal money for a major rebuilding program for the Gulf Coast region after Hurricane Katrina. Dr. Griffin said the space program was a long-term investment in the future.

"When we have a hurricane, we don't cancel the Air Force," Dr. Griffin said. "We don't cancel the Navy, and we're not going to cancel NASA."

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Prettey interesting if you ask me, good to see the bright side of the future.
Source;
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/19/sc...rssnyt&emc=rss
-tecceh2

[Hellfighter]

sounds good is there money for it, without going into the hole again for it.

back then we did not IOU the whole world back then but now we are in the hole.

[Lucky]

sounds good, we should build on the moon so when we are nuked to death or the ozone layer breaks we can go somewhere else

[Mauser 98K]

there is already a base on the moon

[Hellfighter]

will i don't know if NASA has the right to go to the MOON i mean there are land owners who have paid good money to have some of them to own. no joke seem about 8-10yrs all go a guy won a case to sale ownership of lots of them moon.

at first the every one think it was a joke but he won the case and own and sale land located on the moon. LMFAO

it take all type.

[BADDOG]

I think a return to the moon would be wonderful and possibly pave the way for a Mars mission eventually!!!!

Regards