“Starting at the end of this year, and probably for the next five to ten years, the launches of U.S. astronauts into space will be viewed in classrooms and homes in America only through the courtesy of Russian TV…
“…For the ‘world’s greatest spacefaring nation,’ that is hard to accept. I do not believe it has to be this way…. for many years NASA had appropriately-ordered Mission and Vision statements:
Mission
Vision
To improve life here,
To extend life to there,
To find life beyond.
To understand and protect our home planet,
To explore the universe and search for life, and
To inspire the next generation of explorers . . . as only NASA can.
And we are privileged to be the nation that can do it.” ~Sen. John Glenn
jim espo's GRASSHOPPER PLANET 