[jyl]

A few thoughts here.

First, I think NASA is fairly inexpensive as these things go, so I have no problem with increasing their budget and I would pay $100 or $200 a year. Make it a check box on the tax return form.

Second, I have this "feeling" that NASA's manned space exploration program doesn't have clearly communicated goals or reasons. I haven't heard a clear explanation of why we want a moonbase, what we expect the astronauts in the moonbase to do, why we want to go to Mars, or what we expect men to do there that cannot be done by robots. Imagine if 1/4 of a manned Mars mission cost were spent on robotic explorers - the things would be incredible and we could have dozens of them all over the planet. I am not saying there aren't such goals or reasons, I'm saying that as as a fairly informed person who is interested in space and has made the effort to read up on Constellation and other NASA programs, I haven't learned what they are - so imagine what the average American knows - absolutely zip I'd guess. It is hard to support something if you've not been given a reason to care about it.

Third, I am bothered by the idea of scrapping the International Space Station in 2015, only a few years after it has been expanded to current size. It seems ridiculous for the world to spend so much money and effort to build the ISS, then quickly throw it away. Is that an admission that the ISS serves no real purpose after all? Then will we spend billions to establish a moonbase then close it down after several years?

Fourth, I don't like the idea that America's access to orbit might be dependent on some thinly funded private companies who could easily go out of business, and on bumming rides from the Russians, Europeans, and maybe Chinese. Orbit seems pretty strategic, from a military and also commercial standpoint, and it seems that access to orbit should be strategic too.

Fifth, Constellation is not a very inspiring program in the sense that the planned vehicles look so much like Apollo, so to the average Joe it is "ho hum, been there done that". NASA really needs to communicate something more exciting.

So basically I can whole-heartedly support NASA's robotic exploration programs, and I am unclear/need to be convinced on whether I support the manned programs to the moon and Mars. My heart wants to support them, but my head would like some reasons.