Good / Bad ??? (Score 1)

Well, it's too soon to say what the intentions are, but I do believe that NASA was long overdue for a shake-up. Although I disagree with the Bush administration on just about every other issue, I have been pleasantly surprised by their space policy. I strongly support a return to manned space exploration. If this shake-up clears the way for manned missions to the Moon and Mars then it is a positive. Manned exploration of space is about returning NASA to the glory days of the Apollo missions. Bold goals will produce great science. That was the experience of the Apollo programs. Also, manned missions inspire the public in a way that robots never can. Speaking personally, it was my love of the Space program that made me choose engineering as a profession. That said I do have a lingering concern that this purge could be clearing the way for the militarization of space. I don't want to see NASA become a branch of the Pentagon. NASA is a civilian agency dedicated to the peaceful exploration of space to benefit "All mankind."