[ARCADIA]

OK, what the heck has NASA been doing for the past two years?

In short, consuming our tax dollars and producing nothing. NASA is worthless without a real challenge. They need a mission that is difficult enough to clear out the current layer of inept management while attracting new and capable talent.

[Names Ash Housewares]

Every mission brings experience. Every mission brings data there is no other way to get but by flying.

You dont think the next vehicle is not going to benefit from all those shuttle missions?

We learn by doing. There IS more then capable talent at NASA.

Bringing nothing? my god. Opening the door to the next frontier. Keeping America ahead and in the lead. Inspiring explorers to come.

It brings everything.

I know this because those brave souls that came before us are the only reason any of us are here. They explored with ships that they knew sometimes didnt come home. The flew on imperfect wings. And we owe the next generation what was given to us.

NASA has a new mission now. Return to the moon, then to mars. President Bush has put something in motion now that is unstoppable. Thank god.

[Mr. Jeeves]

They need a mission that is difficult enough to clear out the current layer of inept management while attracting new and capable talent.

Since the engineers who can actually build working spacecraft seem to have retired, how about a new NASA mission to sabotage the Chinese manned space program by selling them shuttle technology (ala the Clinton Administration and Loral)? ;)

[LibertarianInExile]

"NASA is worthless without a real challenge. They need a mission that is difficult enough to clear out the current layer of inept management while attracting new and capable talent."

Nope. The whole NASA concept needs put out to pasture. Space and research in general need to go back to private hands. If government wants pure research done, it should explicitly describe the functions that research is for from which government could really benefit, name a price it's willing to pay toward such a goal or item, and award it to the first person to come up with a practical method or invention.

Even that is unlikely to be a Constitutional use of tax dollars. If the private market doesn't want to do it, it usually ain't worth doing.

And don't get me started on all that Texas and Florida real estate sitting there going to little productive use.

[BoBToMatoE]

They need a mission that is difficult enough to clear out the current layer of inept management while attracting new and capable talent.

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and recieving the proper funding to pay for it.