Cape Canaveral, Fla.
NASA this week unveiled its plan for returning to the moon, saying it would combine parts from Apollo rockets and space shuttles to get the job done by 2018. Relying on old equipment, officials said, will be faster and cheaper than testing and building a newfangled spacecraft. “Think of it as Apollo on steroids,” said the space agency’s administrator, Michael Griffin. President Bush has called for returning to the moon as a steppingstone toward exploring Mars. But with the Iraq war and the rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina adding to the already massive federal budget deficit, critics said the $104 billion price tag for a lunar mission would be a tough sell in Congress. The last manned lunar mission, Apollo 17, was in 1972.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
10 upcoming albums to stream during the winter chillThe Week Recommends As the calendar turns to 2026, check out some new music from your favorite artists
-
Kristi Noem might not be long for TrumplandIN THE SPOTLIGHT The Homeland Security secretary has been one of the most visible and vocal architects of Trump’s anti-immigration efforts, even as her own star risks fading
-
Senate votes down ACA subsidies, GOP alternativeSpeed Read The Senate rejected the extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits, guaranteeing a steep rise in health care costs for millions of Americans
