40 years ago man landed on the Moon

Why should we go back? Should we go back? Is the next stop Mars? Neil Armstrong spoke recently about the success of the space race during the period of the cold war as a great advancement in science for both the former USSR and the United States but many people would now ask - what was the point? George Bush declared his desire to send a manned mission to Mars, but why?
Perhaps the most interesting thoughts on the future of our foray into space come from Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in Cambridge who said.

"I don't really care if the mission is the moon, Mars or asteroids, as long as it's purpose is for a permanent human presence in space that is self sustaining."

Sustainability in space - an idea we can all support?

Click here for Boston Herald article. Click here for the bbc look at the Appollo Moon landing.