Wednesday 14 January 2004

We're Going To Mars - Well The Moon Anyway

mars_hills.jpg

Well at least the US is. President Bush announced the following:

2008 - Latest date for robot return to Moon
2008 - Test the Crew Exploration Vehicle by 200
2010 - Complete ISS
2010 - Retire the shuttle
2014 - Latest date for first CEV manned mission
2015 - Earliest date for extended manned moon missions
2020 - Latest date for return to moon

No actual date for a manned mission to Mars, shame. Does this mean 2030 stands?

Don't understand the CEV fixation. Its talked about as "the first of its kind since the Apollo Command Module". Surely what we actually need is a simple X-Prize type orbital ferry, and then something we build in space to get us on to the Moon or Mars. We'll see.

Now if only we could get them to spend an equivalent number of dollars on solving world poverty....


***Imported from old blog***

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