New Scientist NASA has bold plans, No budget

Last week, without fanfare or any grand announcement, it quietly unveiled its blueprint for the future. It calls for a space station close to the Moon that will ultimately serve as a gateway for missions all over the Solar System.

The NASA Exploration Team (NEXT), which was set up by NASA three years ago to dream up a future for human space exploration, shared its vision with aerospace experts at the World Space Congress in Houston, Texas. The plan could not be in starker contrast to the politically motivated Apollo missions of the 1970s, or the aimless, cash-guzzling International Space Station. This time the science will come first, promises Gary Martin, NASA's Future Technology Architect and head of NEXT.