[Names Ash Housewares]

Every mission brings experience. Every mission brings data there is no other way to get but by flying.

You dont think the next vehicle is not going to benefit from all those shuttle missions?

We learn by doing. There IS more then capable talent at NASA.

Bringing nothing? my god. Opening the door to the next frontier. Keeping America ahead and in the lead. Inspiring explorers to come.

It brings everything.

I know this because those brave souls that came before us are the only reason any of us are here. They explored with ships that they knew sometimes didnt come home. The flew on imperfect wings. And we owe the next generation what was given to us.

NASA has a new mission now. Return to the moon, then to mars. President Bush has put something in motion now that is unstoppable. Thank god.

[crail]

NASA has a new mission now. Return to the moon, then to mars. President Bush has put something in motion now that is unstoppable. Thank god.

What's on the moon? For the billions spent going to mars, we could send robots to every planet in the solar system. Robots that do better measurements, robots that don't need life support. Robots that don't need to come home. Humans do nothing more in space than try to stay alive. For all the human exploration of low earth orbit we've had, we've got a "permanant" station in low earth orbit that does no science, and a shuttle that ferries people to the station where they do no science. Real science is performed by robots who've been *far* farther than humans, and done better science. All the true space explorers of the past two decades have been robotic.

If humans do any more exploration in space, it will be by carrying a robot measurement tool to a nearby planet that's already been visited by dozens of probes that carried themselves, setting it on the ground, and letting it do it's job... the science, while the astronaut poses for pictures. Oh, and for a greatly increased price.

[Dan Evans]

Opening the door to the next frontier. Keeping America ahead and in the lead.

If they are keeping America ahead, then why are we paying Russia to ferry astronauts to the space station and why is China launching satellites for US companies?

"Russia conducted the majority of space launches last year, according to Russian officials, carrying out 42.6 percent of launches compared to 29.6 percent by the United States, 14.8 by China and just 5.6 percent by the ESA itself, ahead of India's 1.9 percent share."