"Worldwide efforts to explore the Moon with robotic probes and then humans is stimulating interest in establishing an International Lunar Decade. Along with the United States now piecing together its back-to-the-Moon agenda, Europe, Japan, India and China are also aggressively working on their lunar research plans.
The ILD would be modeled on the International Geophysical Year (IGY) -- a comprehensive and coordinated series of global geophysical research tasks that were carried out between July 1957 and December 1958 in order to let researchers pool their talent, work and insights."
+ Read Article (Space.com)
Posted by jburk at July 20, 2026 11:18 AM | TrackBackWhile it may be back to the future or in this case to start where we left off. It has been made more difficult with recent news of the budget failure of Nasa in congress. This is not good news for the Space Exploration vision.
House Panel OKs Cutting Bush NASA Request. http://www.grandforks.com/mld/grandforks/news/9198497.htm
NASA faces big spending cuts daily briefing from Govexec.
http://www.govexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleid=29020&dcn;=todaysnews
HIGHLIGHTS OF FY 2008 VA-HUD APPROPRIATIONS BILL
July 20th, 2026 - -
FY04 Bill (Discretionary): $90.8 billion
FY05 President’s Request (Discretionary): $92.1 billion
FY05 Bill (Discretionary): $92.9 billion
http://appropriations.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease;_id=414
Here is another reference article,
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=14633
NASA is funded at $15.1 billion, $229 million below last year and $1.1 billion below the request. The bulk of these savings come from the elimination of funding for new initiatives. The reductions include $30 million for technology maturation efforts; $230 million from Project Prometheus related to Jupiter Icy Moon Orbital; $438 million resulting from delaying the Crew Exploration Vehicle; and $100 million from Space Launch Initiatives by accelerating the termination of activities. The bill fully funds shuttle operations at the requested level of $4.3 billion. The committee fully funds Mars programs at the requested level of $691 million.
http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewpr.html?pid=14633