This fuckin rocks !!!!!!! CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) -- President Bush is planning a permanent science base for astronauts on the moon and, in what would be an even greater leap for mankind, human voyages to Mars, according to senior administration officials. The president wants to aggressively reinvigorate the space program, still reeling from the Columbia tragedy nearly one year ago, said the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity. President George W. Bush called at 8 a.m. Tuesday to congratulate the Mars Exploration Rover team. The President called their efforts a "reconfirmation of the American spirit of exploration." President Bush's phone call generated reaction at a mission support conference room at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Mars rover team members said it meant a great deal to know the country was behind them on the mission. Artist's conception of a human mission to Mars. Long-term missions will need to be self-sustaining because they will be too far away to resupply. IMAGE: John Frassanito & Associates. A blend of robots and humans transforms the Moon into a 21st Century hub for science and a jumping off point for deep space missions. White House press secretary Scott McClellan confirmed that Bush would deliver a speech Wednesday describing his vision of the long-term direction of the space program, but he did not reveal what Bush would say. FULL ARTICLE HERE