Obama outlines NASA space program's future

Obama's bold prediction was an answer to critics, including several former astronauts, that his changes would deal a staggering blow to the nation's manned space program.

Speaking at the Kennedy Space Center, where America's moon missions originated decades ago, Obama said he was "100 percent committed to the mission of NASA and its future." He outlined plans for federal spending to bring more private companies into space exploration following the soon-to-end space shuttle program.

"We want to leap into the future," not continue on the same path as before, Obama said as he sought to reassure NASA workers that America's space adventures would soar on despite the termination of shuttle flights.

Obama acknowledged criticism for his drastic changes to the space agency's direction. But, he said, "The bottom line is: Nobody is more committed to manned space flight, the human exploration of space, than I am. But we've got to do it in a smart way; we can't keep doing the same old things as before."

Obama said that by 2025, the nation would have a new spacecraft "designed for long journeys to allow us to begin the first-ever crewed missions beyond the moon into deep space."

"We'll start by sending astronauts to an asteroid for the first time in history. By the mid-2030s, I believe we can send humans to orbit Mars and return them safely to Earth. And a landing on Mars will follow," he said.

Obama said the space program is not a luxury but a necessity for the nation.

He noted that the Kennedy Space Center has inspired the nation and the world for half a century. He said NASA represents what it means to be American - "reaching for new heights and reaching for what's possible" - and is not close to its final days; Kazinform cites the Arab News.

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