Other interesting quote I have run across:

"Brownback said increased involvement from the private sector is the key to a successful and affordable space program. 'I believe the private sector can get us back to the moon affordably, within three years,' he said."
http://www.axcessnews.com/national_061804.shtml

I wonder if Brownback will push an X Prize approach for the robotic mission to the moon.

Great notes on the Nasawatch site with regards to the conversion of field sites to federally funded research facilities. Many are form employess of a couple, they are very interesting.

As for the private sector getting us back to the moon. Can they create the needed capsule, and rocket in less time than Nasa's time table of 2009 for the CEV unmanned preflight testing.

Shuttle 2? military space plane being developed by Northrop Grumman

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/milspace-04r.html

June 18 shuttle status report for return to flight progress.

http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2004/jun/HQ_s0416_shuttle_rpt.html

When space shuttle flights resume, the astronauts will have putty and other filler to repair cracks and small gashes in the wings, but they will not be able to patch a hole as big as the one that doomed Columbia, NASA said Friday.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/06/18/space.shuttle.ap/index.html

Direct from the source about Northrop's testing of the space plane.

http://www.irconnect.com/noc/press/pages/news_printer.mhtml?d=59215&print;=1

Congraduations SpaceshipOne now lets do it and win the prise.

On another note Shuttle repair plan has its limits Patch procedure wouldn't have worked on Columbia.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5241397/

Here's a link to the NASA Authorization bill introduced into the Senate that was discussed in the article:

http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d108:s.02541: