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	Frequently Asked Questions Send to a friend  Printable version  En Español Keywords Lunar Exploration  NASA and the American Space Program  Lunar Surface  European Astronomy and Space Program  Japanese Space Program  Resources Astronomy Gift Shop 2009 Sky Almanac McDonald Observatory logo cap Are there plans to return to the Moon?  Astronauts of the future may explore the lunar surface with a pressurized rover. In January 2004, President George Bush proposed a new direction for NASA, which would include a permanently manned base on the Moon and human expeditions to Mars. The lunar base could serve as a testing ground for the equipment needed to operate on Mars and a launching pad for the Mars expedition. If the plan is carried through, it could also provide a new round of lunar samples for planetary geologists, allowing them to study rocks and soil from many more locations. Astronomers have proposed erecting telescopes at the lunar poles or on the farside. Radio telescopes on the farside would use the Moon's mass to block radio signals from Earth. However, previous efforts to return humans to the Moon have failed, and the President's proposal will draw intense scrutiny and criticism in a time of large budget deficits and other demands on federal dollars. The odds of NASA carrying out all of Bush's plan are slim. NASA is not planning any robotic missions to the Moon yet, although that could change as it prepares to fulfill Bush's directive. In the meantime, the European Space Agency has launched a small orbiter, called SMART-1, which will arrive at the Moon late in December 2004. Japan plans to launch LUNAR-A, a combination orbiter and penetrator, in August. Other FAQs Select FAQ category Earth, Moon, and the Sun The Solar System Space Probes and Human Exploration Stars and Nebulae Astronomers and Observatories Galaxies and Cosmology Stargazing and Star Lore » FAQs about StarDate Online Space Probes and Human Exploration Links Apollo Archive Extrasolar Planets Search The Astrobiology Web: Extrasolar Planetary Systems JPL Missions Planetary Exploration Timeline New Horizons Mission to Pluto Warp Drive When? SETI Institute The SETI League
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