From SpaceNews: Commentary by Jack Burns - At the recent National Space Council meeting, U.S. Vice President Pence challenged the nation to begin exploring space again with a human mission to the moon’s south pole by 2024.
Public-private-academic partnerships will help us accelerate a new lunar program. Such successful collaborations have already advanced commercial development in low earth orbit and space science missions that are surveying the solar system and beyond. Coupled with international alliances, we can expand the aerospace pie, open new opportunities for a new generation of engineers and scientists, and develop a true space economy.
America must continue to be a leader, willing to invest real and intellectual capital, to develop a balanced space exploration program. Read more...