[RightWhale]

Whoever leads in the development of space technologies is going to own the next century. If that is someone other than the US, we will take our place on the shelf of has-been countries

And the century after. Has-been? America would quickly move to second-rate country status if it were to drop manned space exploration. That won't happen. NASA will emerge stronger after this disaster, and the space program should gain a fresh and vigorous goal. We have to reach out to the moon again, and to Mars, that's what should be done.

[discostu]

They didn't emerge stronger after Challenger. The post Challenger NASA was timid and fearful, and that's continued to this day. Remember it was only a few months ago that NASA released their study on Mars exploration that basically boiled down to "it would be dangerous, so we probably shouldn't". I hope NASA emerges with some cajones but the historical evidence says they get more chicken every time something bad happens.