What does NASA expect to achieve from its main space programs in the next 20 and 40 years?
– In the aftermath of the recent Columbia disaster NASA has major problems to deal with. The report from the Accident Investigation Board has pointed out many areas to be fixed or improved. NASA is developing careful approaches to address these issues. The American public is also facing today major questions of what the nation expects to get out of the space program, how to accomplish these goals, and how much money should be spent on them. Even the issues of what kind of a transportation system needs to be used and whether the Space Shuttle should be replaced with a brand new vehicle are not resolved yet. There is a rumor that President Bush will be announcing a new mission to the Moon shortly. So, I don’t want to speculate too much on the future other than to refer you to what I will mention below for NASA’s planned mission to Mars. – I have read last summer in Popular Science Magazine, which stated that NASA has planned to build a space elevator to Mars in 2040. What are the possibi
