Is Colonizing Mars an Imperative? USA's New Space Strategy Points to "Yes"

"I don't think the human race will survive the next 1,000 years unless we spread into space."
Stephen Hawking
The Obama Administration new mission for NASA puts the focus on developing new space technologies, exploring the solar system with robots, and pushing humans closer to living offworld. All of which will be funded a budget increase to NASA of $6 billion over five years.

Under the new strategy, we'd see a revamped NASA program focused on scientific innovation, rather than recreating old experiments. Specifically, as NASA Administrator Charlie Bolden said: "We will invent and demonstrate large-scale, new and novel approaches to spaceflight such as in-orbit fuel depots and rendezvous and docking technologies, and closed-loop life support systems so that our future robotic and human exploration missions are both highly capable and more affordable . . . as well as providing $3 billion over five years for robotic exploration precursor missions that will pave the way for later human exploration of the moon, Mars and nearby asteroids."

Read More: http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2011/07/is-colonizing-mars-an-imperative-usas-new-space-strategy-points-to-yes.html