[My2Cents]

In this regard, perhaps NASA or a public space program should be engaged in pressing into "newer frontier" and regarding follow-up to what the trails NASA has blazed (developing the technology and techniques for getting to the moon, launching and servicing satellites, and so forth), these should be purely private endeavors. A mission to Mars, or developing new and exotic powerplant systems for space travel should be the focus of NASA.

[Hodar]

In this regard, perhaps NASA or a public space program should be engaged in pressing into "newer frontier" and regarding follow-up to what the trails NASA has blazed (...), these should be purely private endeavors.

As much as I would like to agree with you, I can't. In just about every other endeavor the gov't has tried, it has been eclipsed by the private sector, who can do it faster, better and cheaper. However, here's the crux.

Primarily, there is no money in going to the moon. What company is going to make money by going there now? The private sector excells when there is a market. Presently, there isn't a market for moon rocks or space travel; let alone enough to justify the expenses, R&D and prototyping required to do this.

If I were GW's advisor, I would strongly discourage talks of a trip to the moon. We did that nearly 30 years ago. It's a gross statement of underaccomplishment. I'd put it on par with declaring that we are going to McDonalds for dinner. It's more of an insult than a goal. However, if he were to say that we are going to put a man on Mars, or we are going to Europa, we are going to orbit Jupiter ..... THATS worthy of national pride.