Does the U.S. Space Program Need New Direction?

Question

I find it difficult to get enthusiastic about the current activities. It seems to me that we are just crossing our fingers and hoping that nothing goes seriously wrong. The great successes have become old news. What is missing?

Answer 1

With awarding of contracts for Ares, Orion, the CEV, etc, I would think that is a new direction. Getting back to the moon, and starting the process of getting to Mars is definitiely a new direction.

The space station is really taking shape, now. In a few weeks the solar array will be in its final configuration, and by mid-next-year the last 2 major modules will be installed.

So far, this shuttle trip has been a lot more routine (although there is still nothing 'routine' about space flight).

More missions to Mars are on the way. Messenger will start returning data from Mercury, soon. New Horizons will give us great pictures of Pluto/Charon/moons in the next decade.
The James Webb space telescope

Great successes will come.

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Answer 2

I guess that everyone is entitled to their own opinion.