Panel wants NASA to reset goals

A panel recommends NASA shelve the idea of rapidly returning to the moon and instead focus on nurturing a robust commercial space industry that can handle short-term objectives. The Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee was convened by the Obama administration to assess NASA’s goals. The White House received the findings Tuesday, which stop short of explicitly rejecting the goal of launching a mission back to the moon. (Source: Wall Street Journal, 09/09/09) Gulf Coast note: Stennis Space Center, Miss., and Michoud Assembly Facility, New Orleans, are key NASA centers on the Gulf Coast.