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NASA Rolls Out Space Exploration Roadmap

Posted by Soulskill on from the to-infinity-and-beyond dept.

MarkWhittington writes "NASA and the space agencies of a variety of countries, including members of the European Union, Canada, Japan, Russia, India, the Ukraine, and South Korea, have rolled out the latest version of a space exploration roadmap (PDF). NASA and its partners have created two scenarios, called 'Asteroid Next' and 'Moon Next.' This represents the continuing argument over which destination astronaut explorers should go to first. Should it be an Earth approaching asteroid, as President Obama insists? Or should it be the moon, as many people in Congress, NASA, and NASA's partner agencies suggest? In any event, all roads lead to Mars in the current plan. Both visits to an asteroid and to the moon are considered practice runs for what will be needed to go to Mars."

2 of 128 comments (clear)

  1. The roadmap is nothing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    NASA needs guaranteed funding and a minimum of Congressional oversight.

  2. Nobody called Zubrin - by Darth+Snowshoe · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Let me be the first one in this thread to advocate for THE CASE FOR MARS by Robert Zubrin. They should skip the asteroid and the moon, and start sending robotic missions to Mars today. When the robots have manufactured a liveable environment (e.g. caves or lava tubes) and enough fuel for an emergency return trip, then you send the astronauts.