Moon,
Mars and Beyond
Space
Photo Gallery: Places I've Been, Things I've Seen
I was lucky enough to be born in an
era where the space program was in its prime. All
I could think about
each day was the  space race and man's quest
for the moon. My dream was to be an astronaut and
leave terra firma for the stars. I never could
get enough of it and still to this day my
interest and passion for space still burns as
strong as ever. With space tourism becoming a
reality my dream still lives on. I've kept my
artifacts from the sixties - pictures and
autographs I received from NASA including
maps and other documents from the period. I've
amassed a collection of moonwalker autographs. I
have 7 of the 12 moonwalkers. I've talked to Tom
Kelly, the father of the LEM and have
his personalized and signed book "Moon
Lander". Likewise, I have Gene Krantz's
"Failure is not an option" personalized
and signed book.
On July 20, 1969, I watched with
millions around the world as the human race
achieved its greatest feat - landing a man on the
moon. I doubt most Americans realize how great an
accomplishment this really was or how far the
limits of technology were pushed to achieve that
goal. Yet we did it five more times! Other
nations are looking at the moon again as a target
for exploration and exploitation. It is time we
returned and led the world again in reaching out
to the stars.
 The Space Shuttle is a
marvelous machine. The beauty of the shuttle at launch and as the
world's first reusable spacecraft
is still unmatched in its capabilities
twenty-five years after its inaugural flight. I
wish I could fly on that great machine. Yet the
shuttle is a low Earth orbit vehicle based on a
'60s design and late '70s technology. As great
a workhorse as the shuttle has been it is a
highly complex vehicle and as it ages a risky
vehicle to operate.
Over the life of the Space Shuttle
program we have learned much about the dynamics
of spaceflight, the vehicle and about ourselves
through triumph and tragedy, but it is time to
move forward with our dreams of space. Our time
to venture back out to the Moon and onward to
Mars has come. I look at the stars and moon each
night and wonder when we as a nation will commit
to going back. I hope that all Americans support
the Moon, Mars and Beyond plan that lays out the
goal for our return to the Moon and our
eventually manned flight to Mars.
Next: Collected
Space Photo Gallery
Click Here for My Vision for
Creating a Sustainable American Space Program
Click here
to view the NASA Vision for Space Exploration
Click Here
to view the President's Moon to Mars Report
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