Why do you think NASA needs space travel equipment no later than 2012?

NASA seems to have a big interest in acquiring top notch space travel equipment by the year 2012. They are offering hundreds of millions of dollars to companies who can design and build high tech space travel vehicles. Why is the year 2012 so important to NASA and the Government?

NASA website clearly says "no later than 2012", so this is a deadline. According to President Bush's earlier speeches, he plans to put men on the moon again by 2012. He speaks about moon bases, manned Mars missions, and the likes. Why this big space pushes by 2012?

The Orbital Space Plane program will provide the capability for crew rescue by 2010 and the capability for crews to transfer to and from the International Space Station by 2012.

The three system design contractor teams — The Boeing Company of Seal Beach, Calif.; Lockheed Martin Corp. of Denver; and a team including Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va., and Northrop Grumman of El Segundo, Calif. — will each receive approximately $45 mil

Oh, god, you'll believe anything, won't you?

Do you think for one moment that we'll have a moon base by 2012? There is absolutely zero chance of that. We MAY have test flown the next manned spacecraft by then. It will not be an "Orbital Space Plane". We will not have come anywhere near sending people to Mars.

Because Bush is a psycho fundie who probably believes that garbage. Double scary since it's his hand over the "button".

Nothing like a religious zealot to bring about the end of the world, is there?

However, I would like you to provide proof/links to back up your info....

I could make a movie out of the weirdness in your head. And boy, you are OUT THERE.

...because in 2007 Bush said "5 years."

It probably because their budget gets renewed in 2013.

There happens to be massive solar flares that will quite possibly disrupt all electromagnetic powered satellites and communication systems that are predicted to occur that year. They happen in cycles of 11 years. Last huge solar flares were in 2001. Add 11 years and you get 2012.

So, it has to do with getting the equipement up and running BEFORE this happens. Has NOTHING to do with the end of the world.

Perhaps Bush, being shockingly stupid and a religious zealot, has bought into the latest end-of-the-world deadline and is squandering our tax dollars on related foolishness.

Err... they are planing a Moon landing 2018 with the start on a permanent station. The initial launch is 2012 to test stuff out.

You know they have deadlines all the time. In this case they are racing China.

Because that is what NASA does, builds and acquires technology for space travel.

If you are trying to imply that the 2012, which is the end of the MAYAN calender is some how connected in any way to your apocalypse and that NASA is in on it...you are nuttier than I thought.

Please, if you are going to copy paste stuff, at least cite your source.