The Vision for Space Exploration, declared by President George W. Bush in 2004, aimed to return to the Moon with manned and robotic missions and establish a lunar base by 2024. President Obama later canceled parts of the plan, including the Constellation program, but still committed to manned spaceflight. The Orion spacecraft is expected to be tested by 2014, and plans for a Shuttle-Derived Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle and sending astronauts to an asteroid were announced. Mars missions are planned after 2030. Some still believe in returning to the Moon and settling there.
Future US plans for space travel were outlined in the Vision for Space Exploration, declared by US President George W. Bush on January 14, 2004. In late 2004 and early 2005, Congress approved legislation showing support for the Vision, including a $16.2 billion NASA budget in US dollars (USD) and a bill explicitly endorsing the project. Several years later, President Barack Obama canceled parts of the plan, including the Constellation program that was designed to return astronauts to the Moon, but insisted the administration was still committed to manned spaceflight.
The highlight of the original plan was a return to the Moon with manned and robotic missions, including plans for a long-dwelling lunar base to be occupied by 2024. The base would have astronauts staying for six months at a time, similar to a typical stay on a space station in low Earth orbit. The lunar base was seen as a long-term stepping stone for missions to Mars.
The Vision for Space Exploration included several anticipated goals and objectives. The first were the robotic missions to the Moon, planned between 2008 and 2010. In 2010, the Space Shuttles were retired and the United States no longer had the means for human space travel. The country depends on the Russian Soyuz spacecraft for space travel. The International Space Station is expected to be completed by 2012.
Despite the cancellation of the Constellation program, the Orion spacecraft, capable of carrying four to six astronauts, is expected to be tested by 2014, although it is not expected to be used before 2020. It is expected to be used as an escape capsule by International Space Station rather than as a spacecraft capable of traveling to the station. In 2010, President Obama announced plans for the Shuttle-Derived Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (HLV), to be completed by 2015, and plans to send astronauts to an asteroid. Mars missions are still planned, probably after 2030.
It’s obvious why the original primary focus of the US space travel vision was the Moon: It’s the closest celestial body, with many of the basic resources needed to sustain life and an economy, not to mention excellent eyesight. Some people still believe that the United States should return to the moon and that humanity will eventually settle there. With luck and the continued acceleration of advances in enabling technologies, it is still hoped to travel to more planets.
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