Will the Space Program Come Down to Earth?

President Obama is trying to promote his vision for human space flight today. Opponents claim he has no vision at all. Will cancelling a return to the Moon mean getting to Mars both cheaper and faster? Also, tea parties around the country are protesting today against the income tax, even though 52 million working Americans won't pay anything at all.

Banner image: During the STS-131 mission's first spacewalk, astronauts Rick Mastracchio and Clayton Anderson (out of frame) moved a new 1,700-pound ammonia tank from space shuttle Discovery's cargo bay to a temporary parking place on the station, retrieved an experiment from the Japanese Kibo Laboratory exposed facility and replaced a Rate Gyro Assembly on one of the truss segments. Photo: NASA