Could NASA be looking for funding to gear up for a trip to Mars?
Public interest in manned missions to Mars has been a fantasy for decades and is slowly becoming a reality.
Riding the wave of enthusiasm, NASA has tentative plans for missions to Mars and the asteroid belt. But with the government’s $18 trillion pile-up of debt, how will it be paid for? Perhaps by licensing the right to use technology developed by NASA to energetic new companies.
David Miller, NASA’s chief technologist, says:
“The Startup NASA initiative leverages the results of our cutting-edge research and development so entrepreneurs can take that research — and some risks — to create new products and new services.”
Dispatches From The Front 