Famed Iowa space expert opposes Bush space plan

http://www.usatoday.com/news/science...e-robots_x.htm

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osted 1/13/2004 8:23 AM

Famed Iowa space expert opposes Bush space plan
By Patrick Condon, Associated Press
DES MOINES — An Iowa physicist considered to be one of the founding fathers
of space exploration opposes Bush administration plans for a space station on
the moon and a manned mission to Mars.
James Van Allen, the namesake for the Van Allen Belts of intense radiation that
encircle the earth, said Monday that such manned space missions have become too
expensive and better results can be gained by robotic spacecraft.

"I'm quite unimpressed by any arguments for it," Van Allen, 89, said in an
interview from his office at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

"I'm one of the most durable and fervent advocates of space exploration, but my
take is that we could do it robotically at far less cost and far greater
quantity and quality of results," he said.

President Bush is scheduled to announce a major space initiative on Wednesday.
The plan is expected to call for a settlement on the moon in 10 to 15 years,
from which astronauts would launch a manned mission to Mars in 25 to 30 years.

Experts estimate the plans could easily cost hundreds of billions of dollars.

"The president will have more to say during his speech on Wednesday about the
future direction of our space program and the long-term approash we are are
taking to space policy," Scott McClellan said in a press briefing Friday. ...
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