U.S. House Wants 'Sustained Human Presence On the Moon and the Surface of Mars'

MarkWhittington writes "Politico reports in a June 18, 2013 story that House Republicans have added a Mars base to its demands for a lunar base in the draft 2013 NASA Authorization bill. Both the Bush-era Constellation program and President Obama space plan envisioned eventual human expeditions to Mars. But if Politico is correct, the new bill will be the first time an official piece of legislation will call for permanent habitation of the Red Planet. The actual legislative language states, 'The [NASA] Administrator shall establish a program to develop a sustained human presence on the Moon and the surface of Mars.'"

Cool, let's send Congress first.

[Uniquitous]

The moon, Mars, deep space... just get them off this planet and out of our hair ASAP.

Re:Unfunded mandate?

[the eric conspiracy]

I'm surprised the House admits to the existence of Mars and the Moon as separate bodies in space rather than being lights in a crystal sphere around the Earth.

Re:Unfunded mandate?

[Anonymous Coward]

Do you mean congress or Obama? Not much difference unless your a true believer? The US government thinks money grows on tax payers and Chinese lenders. Why not, we have an endless money pit the way business is conducted today. The universe is the limit for the US government.

Rep. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-California) says

[Spy Handler]

"Get your ass to Mars!"

Re:Unfunded mandate?

[K. S. Kyosuke]

rather than being lights in a crystal sphere around the Earth.

Around!? You do realize that in order to even conceive this notion, they'd first have to make a bold leap of thought regarding the sphericity of our humble middle realm of existence? There aren't many things I would put past them but I think you're too much of an optimist.

Re:Cool, let's send Congress first.

[i kan reed]

Just don't send any of that expensive oxygen with them. We can save that for a second trip.

All about voters

[T.E.D.]

It makes great electoral sense for them. A place where communications are so stretched that everybody is literally years behind the times would make for perfect Republican voters.

Re:Cool, let's send Congress first.

[Anonymous Coward]

You mean, until we run out of Congressmen and Senators and finally decide to fix the faulty design...

Re:Cool, let's send Congress first.

[chill]

Then the whole CO2/global warming issue should be solved.