NASA published the blueprint for its future in space last week, and predictably responses were mixed. The plan delivers President George Bush’s “new vision” for spaceflight, which includes sending astronauts back to the moon. If funding continues at existing levels, people could set foot on one of several tantalising sites by 2018 (see “NASA sets its sights on the moon”).
Congress and some members of the space community have praised the plan for its pragmatism. Others have dismissed it as merely a rerun of the Apollo programme. But this criticism overlooks the fact that NASA’s options are limited. For…
