houston, we have lift off... again.

Today, President Bush promised that by the end of the decade, more men will walk on the moon. Approximatley $108 billion dollars were in the new plan, being used as a stepping stone for future expeditions to Mars. The article describes the similarities to the Apollo Mission, calling it "Apollo on steriods." The estimated landing for the next space walk is 2018.
Apollo 11 was the first shuttle to ever land on the moon, and carried Neil Armstrong, the first man to ever walk on the moon. The price of the first Moon walk was never released, however Dr. Griffin, NASA's administrator, said that when the inflation rate is taken into consideration, this space trip would cost only 55% of the first. Past failure rates were approximatley 220:1, new designs for rockets would place failure rates at about 2000:1. The newer craft however is expected to weigh 50% more than the Apollo.
Though there are obvious diferences, the two space launches share many similarities. Both are considered milestones in space expolration. The Apollo was, "One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." The new space program is expected to be at least that, if not more. Though the Apollo was the first of its kind, both launches were and will be highly anticipated. Without a doubt, millions will be fascinated with the newest NASA project. As were the millions who tuned in to watch Neil Armstrong take his first steps on the moon.
Many view NASA and space exploration as a waste of the governments money, however, exploration of the universe surrounding us, will only be beneficial in the future.