Vision for Space Exploration
The Vision for Space Exploration is the United States space policy announced on January 14, 2004 by President George W. Bush. It is seen as a response to the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, the state of human spaceflight at NASA, and a way to regain public enthusiasm for space exploration.
The Vision calls for the space program to:
- Complete the International Space Station (by 2010)
- Retire the Space Shuttle (by 2010)
- Develop the Crew Exploration Vehicle (by 2008) and conduct its first manned mission (by 2014)
- Explore the moon with unmanned missions (by 2008) and manned missions (by 2020)
- Explore Mars and other destinations with unmanned and manned missions
When the Vision was announced in January 2004, the U.S. Congress and the scientific community gave it a mix of positive and negative reviews. For example, Rep. Dave Weldon (R-Fla.) said, "I think this is the best thing that has happened to the space program in decades," while physicist Robert L. Park said that robotic spacecraft "are doing so well it's going to be hard to justify sending a human." [1]. Others, such as the Mars Society have argued that it makes more sense to avoid going back to the moon and instead focus on going to Mars first. Mars Society FAQ
Throughout much of 2004 it was unclear whether the U.S. Congress would be willing to approve and fund the Vision for Space Exploration. However, in November 2004 Congress passed an omnibus spending bill which gave NASA all but $44 million of the amount President Bush had sought to kick-start the Vision. According to then-NASA chief Sean O'Keefe, that spending bill “was as strong an endorsement [of the space exploration vision] as any of us could have imagined.” [2]
The new NASA Administrator, Michael Griffin, who took office in April 2005, is a big supporter of the Vision, but has also modified it somewhat, saying that he wants to reduce the four year gap between the retirement of the Space Shuttle and the first manned mission of the Crew Exploration Vehicle. [3]
See also
External links
- NASA: The Vision for Space Exploration
- White House: A Renewed Spirit of Discovery
- President's Commission on Implementation of United States Space Exploration Policy
- NASA: Exploration Systems
- National Space Society - non-profit organization that promotes a spacefaring civilization