It is very exciting to see NASA (trying) to go back to its roots of space and human planetary exploration. See below NASA’s plans for the next 20 years – until 2016. And it is it is about returning to the Moon, and preparing for Mars:

  • Fly the Shuttle as safely as possible until its retirement, not later than 2010.
  • Complete the International Space Station in a manner consistent with NASA’s International Partner commitments and the needs of human exploration.
  • Develop a balanced overall program of science, exploration, and aeronautics consistent with the redirection of the human spaceflight program to focus on exploration.
  • Bring a new Crew Exploration Vehicle into service as soon as possible after Shuttle retirement.
  • Encourage the pursuit of appropriate partnerships with the emerging commercial space sector.
  • Establish a lunar return program having the maximum possible utility for later missions to Mars and other destinations.


        Source: NASA 2006 Strategic Plan.

The following diagram shows NASA space exploration plans until the year 2025:

Last space shuttle flight in 2010, that is 3 years from now. That will mark the
end of an era in the U.S. space program and the start of the Return to
the Moon, with the 7th manned moon landing in the year 2019.
From the illustration, it seems that space station missions will end in the year 2016, in preparation for (focus on) lunar missions, which seems ridiculous short for the amount of time, effort, headaches, and money spent on its construction, which is yet not complete. Manned Mars expedition mission project would begin in 2020, while learning/training on the Lunar bases.

Note that the Return to the Moon program has started and is happing (planning) now. I you like the space program and have the right stuff to help put people on the Moon and beyond, now is the time to join NASA – I personally think that working on the onboard OS software, and/or flight-software for the space vehicle would be very neat.

ceo