Mars or bust. That's the banner that President Bush wants to run up the White House flagpole. Establishing an outpost on Mars is a fine goal―if you worry about the sun exploding and toasting life on Earth in a few billion years. But for now, avoiding the "or bust" is the challenge. A decade ago, NASA calculated it would cost close to $500 billion to head back to the moon as a stepping-stone to Mars. Today, the tab could top an astronomic $750 billion. But taxpayers would get handed a far smaller bill if Washington made some long-overdue changes. Since man last set foot on the moon in 1972, NASA has enjoyed a monopoly on U.S. manned space missions, doling out contracts to its aerospace cronies. As a result, the cost of putting people into orbit is about the same now as 30 years ago―roughly $10,000 per pound, although cheaper commercial launch vehicles are available.
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