14 News, The Tri-State's News and Weather Leader-Bush Proposes Manned Mars Mission

Bush Proposes Manned Mars Mission

New Media Producer: Brad Maglinger

President Bush is giving NASA a new mission: returning humans to the moon, then flying onward to ''worlds beyond our own.''

Speaking at agency headquarters, he proposed a permanent lunar outpost by 2020, and a manned mission to Mars after 2030.

Before that, Bush would complete the orbiting space station, retire the space shuttle and build a brand new spacecraft, the ''Crew Exploration Vehicle.''

He says robots have done well in space, but humans still need to ''see and examine and touch''.

To help NASA meet these goals, Bush is proposing to give NASA three billion dollars. Critics say that leaves future presidents to make the tough spending calls.

At the announcement, Bush was joined by astronaut Michael Foale by radio from the international space station -- and Eugene Cernan, the last man to walk on the moon, who left vowing humans would one day return.

Says Bush: ''America will make those words come true.''

Source: AP