The head of the U.S. space agency says the agency's newly approved budget shows clear congressional support for resuming the nation's manned space program.
In Washington Tuesday, NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe said the agency's priorities are getting the space shuttles flying again and completing work on the International Space Station. He said the agency will also begin developing the next generation of piloted spacecraft - capable of traveling to the moon and Mars.
President Bush, in a speech last January, committed the United States to flying a new manned spacecraft by 2008, and returning to the moon by 2020. He said the knowledge gained on the moon will serve as a foundation for further human exploration of space, beginning with a manned mission to Mars.
