NASA's Moon Plan Too Ambitious, Obama Panel Says

I am totally in favor of the deep space option except that I wouldn't
send astronauts just lots highly capable robotic probes. We need a
really good analysis of a lot of near earth asteroids. We need to find
several good size comet (ice) cores. We need a good resource summary
before launching mining and habitat development robotics. When there is
a LONG TERM livable place to go then we launch humans but instead of
being astronauts they are colonists. The goal is human expansion into
space not planting flags. The deep space option makes sense.

It sounds like somebody capable of writing a business plan is finally on
one of these committees instead of people who are good at wasting tax
payer money. Business plans aren't sexy but they are the way to get
things done.

I would also de-orbit the International Space Station in 2009. That
would free up a large chunk of useless expenditure. It has already
served its only important function which was to keep a lot of NASA and
civilian contractors employed.

New mantra:
Say NO to astronauts! Say YES to colonists.

Mitchell James