Hi,
I am doing a school project on the NASA space program and its future. I am hoping to get some good feedback, responses, and even questions so that I can be active in this thread. I know its a long post but it would really help me out with my project if you could please respond back with any position or feedback.

I believe NASA should further its space program and continue to strengthen its hold in space. According to President Bush and Chairman Boehlert the future of NASA is strong. I concur with their general beliefs and positions that NASA should continue to have human space missions and should land back on the moon but I also believe there is a much different future for NASA. We definitely need to finish the International Space Station because it will be able to be a sort of in space home where humans can live for extended periods of time. In addition we would also complete our part of the bargin with the other countries involved.
While completion of the space station is going we must develop a new way for humans to travel into space. As we have found out the space shuttle is a dangerous vehicle in numerous occasions. It is not stable or strong enough to undergo further missions without a significant increase in fatal threat to the astronauts, much greater than usual. NASA has already recognized this situation luckily but they need to decide whether or not to look past Boeing and Lockheed Martin to other smaller companies. Companies such as t/Space are attempting to develop their own new way to travel to space do you think NASA should look into having those companies as well compete for the creation of the new vehicle?
These two goals will be the start of the new NASA. Now we continue to beyond both goals. What should happen next? I believe we should continue looking at Mars and perhaps look to send possible human’s to mars. Its atmosphere and terrain is not incredibly significantly different than the Moon’s. If we could possibly launch a craft of some sorts from the space station we would have even less of a trip to reach mars. Reaching Mars may even be our next step in finding some other world to possibly set up some type of base at.
Sure there are talks about setting up on the Moon but is there really that great of a need? Mars, which is father out into our space system and is also away from the earth's gravitational pull. It would seem to be a much more beneficial place to set up a launch pad of some sort. It is not only farther out, but also possibly contains water which is essential to human survival. Yes this idea is as far fetched as some of the movies played on the Sci-Fi channel but as a race we have and always will be explorers and conquerors. So why not attempt to conquer the unknown and venture into the depths of space.
Overall space is the biggest step we as humans can take. It is the ultimate unknown arena and may also be the key to our survival if we continue detrimental effects to the earth. For numerous reasons NASA should be strongly continued but only with a directed and focused program.

Thank you again for looking at my position and please respond back with anything you have to say.