Moment's ago,President Bush announced his plans for a new "Space Age",revealing plans to not only return to the moon,but to eventually land a human on Mars.Some have criticized the plan and clamied that it would either cost to much,or that we should concern ourself with matters here,on Earth.

Before you listen to the nay-sayers and unimaginitve fools,listen to this.As many of you know,we currently have a golf cart sized rover on the planet Mars.Mars.Many think this is nothing.Do you have any idea the difficulty of not only launching a rocket,but having part of that rocket land on a planet thousands of miles away? Have any of you even seen the photogrpahs sent back from the rover? They are amazing.The fact that no only we can build something like this,but get it to function while we are thousands of miles away should amaze you.

Do you know how many innovations and inventions the space program is responsible for? The pacemaker,the X-ray and cat-scan are among the few.Advancing the space program would only further these innovations.

But that is not all this is about.How many of you look up at the night sky and just wonder? More then anything,the space program gives us a sense of wonder and amazment.It gives us a sense of hope.Thanks to NASA and the space program,our imagination is given more room to "run wild",which it needs.We many not have been there on that July day in 1969,when Neil Armstrong stepped out into another world.A world unlike any other,a world filled with mystery,begging to be explored.That is what it is about.The feeling of wonder and amazment.The human thirst for knoweldge knows no bounds and should be allowed to continue it's reach for the stars.Can you imagine how wonderful it must feel to stare out the window of the space shuttle and see the planet that you live on or to see distant worlds that could hold life?

Nearly a year ago,we lost 7 brave souls on the space shuttle Columbia.They died doing what they loved,as did the crew of the space shuttle Challenger.Christa McAuliffe was a teacher aboard Challenger.Her goal was to inspire kids,and adults that anyone can achieve the dream of exploring the stars.These brave souls would not want this dream to be squandered away.They would want the dream to go on,and it should.Stephen Hawking once said; "To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit." Truer word's have never be spoken.When You look up at the sky tonight,Just imagine if you will, what is like to up there.

-Luke Crisalli 1/14/2004
"Ad Astra Per Aspera"
A Rough Road Leads To The Stars