Re "Been there, done that," editorial, Dec. 10
The way to recapture the excitement of the original moon landings would be to send astronauts directly to Mars, not go back to the moon. A moon base would simply be a complex boondoggle without much purpose. I want to see a Mars landing in my lifetime. I don't want to waste years and resources building a moon base.
Robotic missions also deserve our full support; they have extended our knowledge of places beyond the reach of astronauts. But in the end, we humans must go out there. It is our destiny.
WESLEY ORR
Fontana
*
President Bush's sound bite about missions to the moon and Mars could end up costing us $500 billion. Of course, Bush won't have to worry about the budget effect. The moon mission is a boondoggle, supported by Texas and Florida legislators and the aerospace industry. The space station, at a cost of billions, is basically useless. Imagine what else could be done with $500 billion?
