spacetoday.net: Report: Bush may announce new space policy in December

Posted: Thu, Oct 30, 2003, 6:36 AM ET (1136 GMT)
President Bush may announce a new space policy, featuring an emphasis on a return to the Moon, in December, according to one published report. SpaceRef.com reported late Tuesday that sources in Washington indicate that Bush could announce a new space policy at Kitty Hawk during ceremonies to mark the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brothers' historic flight. The report said a key part of the new policy would likely include human missions to the Moon, the first such missions since the Apollo 17 mission in December 1972. Those flights would be used to test advanced technologies that could be used on future human missions to near-Earth asteroids and Mars. Going directly to Mars was ruled out as too difficult and expensive, according to the SpaceRef report. The new policy would not require a "massive" increase in NASA funding. Work on a new national space policy has been underway for some time largely behind closed doors at the White House, with only limited involvement from members of Congress.