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January 10, 2004
Press Release: Bush to Announce Mission to Moon & Mars (Can Australia Help?)
he National Space Society of Australia's President, Tim McEgan, sent a letter to the Today Show in Australia, and issued two press releases to the Australian Press in support of the U.S.A.'s new space initiative. His efforts resulted in interviews with two radio networks syndicated to over 80 Stations nationally. Reprinted with the permission of the National Space Society of Australia. Press Release: Bush to Announce Mission to Moon & Mars (can Australia help?) US Astronauts could return to the moon as early as 2013 if the American Congress backs ambitious new plans President George W Bush is expected to announce next week. Since the shuttle Columbia accident of nearly one year ago, the US has been in engaged in an unprecedented review, assessing the entire American space program which has been stuck in low earth orbit since the last lunar astronauts returned to Earth in Apollo 17 over 31 years ago.The announcement tipped to be made mid-week next week will announce sweeping reforms of the US space program including:
- NASA's Shuttle fleet to be retired after completion of the International Space Station
- Development of a new spacecraft called the "Crew Exploration Vehicle"
- Development of new robotic space vehicles
- Advanced work on human exploration systems
- Interim utilisation of Russian "Soyuz" and European "Ariane" launch vehicles
- Research programs not involving humans may be cancelled or curtailed
The President of the National Space Society of Australia, Tim McEgan, says that the impending statement by President Bush next week may be the single largest policy announcement on space since Kennedy's famous words "We choose to go to the moon" in 1961 that eventual ly landed men on the moon in 1969. Mr McEgan said that "Basically, the whole international space community is buzzing about this".
Mr McEgan believes that Australia's strengths in space industry could assist America's exciting plans to return humans to the moon and then on to Mars and beyond. Australia has very high credentials to participate in the areas of: _ Lunar and planetary geology _ Space flight medicine _ Communications (Australia is perfectly placed to act as a communications relay)
Mr McEgan says that "Most economically developed countries are experiencing a decline in science and technology students. If proposed plans in the US can reinvigorate future students' interest in these areas, it will eventually result in an improved knowledge base in the workforce and hence have a positive flow on effect for the country's economy.
President Bush is expected to make the announcement on Wednesday 14th Jan 2004 (US time).
Helpful Resources:
- www.upi.com/view.cfm?StoryID=20040107-123930-1532r
- www.space.com
- www.spacedaily.com
- www.floridatoday.com
Posted by apsmith at January 10, 2004 04:24 PM
