First Man On Moon Calls Plan "Economically Sustainable"

"Our president has introduced a new initiative with renewed emphasis on the exploration of our solar system and expansion of human frontiers. This proposal has substantial merit and promise."

Those words from the first man on the moon, former NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong, speaking to a crowd in Houston last week, come after the first American to orbit the Earth, John Glenn, spoke in sharp opposition to the president's plan.

It calls for ending the space shuttle program by 2010. In the meantime, all shuttle flights would be concentrated on completion of the International Space Station. Other missions, such as a proposed flight to maintain the Hubble Space Telescope, would be dropped in favor of completing construction of the ISS.

Instead, the president has ordered NASA to concentrate on the establishment of a lunar colony by 2020 and a manned mission to Mars by 2030. The cost: hundreds of billions of dollars, an amount which has drawn fire from Capitol Hill. Some members of Congress say the money would be better spent on domestic programs.

But the 73-year old Armstrong disagrees.

"Our economy can certainly afford an effort of this magnitude, but the public must believe the benefits to society deserve the investment," Armstrong said in Friday's edition of the Houston Chronicle.

"To limit the program in the name of eliminating the risk is no virtue."

FMI: www.nasa.gov