To the Point
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, taxes: the protests and the realities.
By Warren Olney • • 50m ListenPresident 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
In this episode
3 storiesVolcanic Eruption in Iceland Closes Airports in Northwest Europe
Airports in Britain, Scandinavia and other parts of northwestern Europe are shut down today and thousands of flights have been cancelled. It's all because of a cloud of ash that's moving toward continental Europe from the erupting Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland.
Read the story8 minObama's Vision for US Space Exploration
George W. Bush cancelled the Space Shuttle program. Now Barack Obama wants to cancel Bush's plan for going back to the Moon, at least for the moment.
Read the story37 minRecord Number of Americans Will Pay No Income Tax
On this day when federal income taxes are due, the Tea Party Patriots have organized some 600 protests all over the country.
Read the story6 min
