The Future of NASA

fishbonez writes "According to this article, the President's new space exploration initiative parallels his military strategy for space. The article doesn't directly say that NASA will become an integral part of the military plan but clearly that conclusion could be drawn without the need for a tinfoil hat. We have already seen that Hubble will be allowed to expire prematurely as a result of this new initiative. Is the re-allocation of funds within NASA really for getting to the Moon and Mars? Or is it just a cover for shifting toward military space applications? If true, how badly will NASA's scientific mission be effected if it becomes a conduit for giving research and development money to defense contractors?" UPI has a lengthy piece covering the development of the new space plan.

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Going to the moon today

[Likes Microsoft]

I was walking my dog this morning, and the sight of our moon nearly at the new phase got me pondering the task of flying there, given that this year will mark the 35th anniversary of the first landing. I have a couple of questions for my fellow /.ers:

1. Were the earlier manned moon missions all done at full or nearly full phase?
2. If we were to send a mission there within the year, how would the technology used (specifically, rockets and landers) differ from that of the Apollo program?