Press Release

Leading Space Groups Agree: It’s Time For The Moon, Mars And Beyond

By SpaceRef Editor
May 10, 2004
Filed under , , ,

In an unprecedented show of unity, thirteen of the nation’s premier
space advocacy groups, industry associations and space policy
organizations have teamed up to support the effort to refocus NASA’s
human space activities toward exploration, including a return to the
Moon and moving on to Mars and beyond.

The organizations involved include: Aerospace Industries Association,
Aerospace States Association, American Astronautical Society, American
Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, California Space Authority,
Florida Space Authority, The Mars Society, National Coalition of
Spaceport States, National Space Society, The Planetary Society,
ProSpace, Space Access Society and Space Frontier Foundation.

Collectively these groups can count almost one million Americans as
members or as employees of member companies. Their first goal as a
group is to work for broad Congressional support of the new national
vision for space exploration outside of low earth orbit, which they
refer to as Moon, Mars and Beyond. To begin they will work to secure
first year funding for the initiative, which they view as a necessary
first step for in-depth planning of the exploration program to commence
in earnest.

In addition they intend to aggressively refute the false impression that
Moon, Mars and Beyond is too expensive for this country to take on.
They will demonstrate how modest but steady growth in our national
expenditures on space can move the nation toward these important goals,
and the benefits those expenditures will provide.

As space activity becomes increasingly integrated with every aspect of
life here on earth, this new focus on exploration will provide myriad
advances in science and technology, untold economic opportunity and
serve as an inspiration to our nation’s youth. Given those benefits
and the many more that lie in store, this new program of human space
exploration beyond low earth orbit is a vital link to the future of
the United States and the world.

For further information about this effort, please contact:
George Whitesides
Executive Director
National Space Society
(202) 429-1600
george@nss.org

SpaceRef staff editor.