"Bush unveils Moon and Mars plans"
BBC News Online
14 January, 2004, 22:03 GMT Wednesday
The US will send astronauts back to the Moon by 2020, US President George
W Bush has announced.
Humans would live and work on the Moon to prepare for exploration further
afield such as to Mars, he said.
Nasa should get an extra $1bn over five years for the plans, including
building a replacement for the space shuttle.
Critics say it is an expensive election year gimmick, but US officials
say all Americans will benefit from science advances from the "affordable"
scheme.