Opinion
 

New Mars plans create excitement

by Richard Lutz

The nation is buzzing a gentle, but sustained rattle. The tremor is the result of the excited vibration of millions of science fiction fans, activated by President Bush's space plan proposal: a permanent human presence on the moon and manned missions to Mars.

People are attacking the program as an election-year ploy by Bush. But is that all it is? On one level, anything proposed by a president within a year of Election Day will draw such accusations.

Bush said the Moon-Mars initiative will revitalize the American spirit in the way the Apollo missions once did. But Americans are more skeptical now, and will not experience the euphoria that came from beating the Soviet Union in the space race.

Or will we? Another accusation is that Bush has been kicked into action by his old international-politics game. With China's space program suddenly gaining ground and our own shuttle fleet scheduled for retirement, this could be the makings of a second space race. 

Critics say the money allotted to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration should be better spent. 

But the money is not an issue. Over the next five years, the program would cost $12 billion, but only $1 billion would be new -- the other $11 billion would be diverted from other programs.

Even if NASA's $86 billion budget increased, it would still only account for about 1 percent of the federal budget. The extra billion could come from more expensive areas without making a dent. 

For example, NASA has canceled maintenance missions for the Hubble telescope, which is expected to wear down by 2008. The diverted funds may also interfere with the retirement and replacement of space shuttles by 2010 and our commitment to the International Space Station.

As Americans, we must answer some pressing questions about the program. But I, as an avid sci-fi fan, am too excited to think rationally. Mars!

Lutz is an editorial writer for The Daily Cougar. He can be reached via dccampus@mail.uh.edu.