As expected, US President Bush has made the expected speech outlining proposals for the Americans to return to the moon and, later, to land on Mars. As a space enthusiast, I'm totally in favour of this.
However, being also of a cynical frame of mind, I wonder if there's more to this than meets the eye. In the 2000 presidential election, Mr Bush's vistory hinged on an incredibly tight, and repeatedly recounted vote in Florida. If NASA are to begin the programs outlined, where will many jobs be created? Florida!
There's a presidential election later this year - coincidence? I think not.