To the Moon, NASA? Not on this Budget, Experts Say

I'll say it again....

We need to keep them around so Anonymous Hero can share his great launch pictures - that's why!!!!

I'm all for human exploration of space. In fact, I keep a packed travel bag and a towel in the hall closet just in case anybody ever asks me on the spot to go.

But sadly, the rationale to back to the moon for temporary visits is sorely lacking at the moment. And technology needed to stay there on a more-or-less permanent basis is even more lacking. And a visit to Mars, as tempting a challenge as it is, lies just beyond our grasp for now.

For now, NASA should concentrate on a cheap taxi made only to ferry people and perhaps some light cargo in the trunk to the ISS and back.

Could things change for the better within, say, the next 15 years? Perhaps. But until then our exploration funds are much, much better spent on robotic missions.