Can America conquer the eighth continent? We put a man on the moon almost 40 years ago. Now it is time to establish a lunar infrastructure that will challenge us to improve the reliability of space transportation as preparations are made for journeys to other worlds.

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Science & Technology

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Can America conquer the eighth continent? We put a man on the moon almost 40 years ago. Now it is time to establish a lunar infrastructure that will challenge us to improve the reliability of space transportation as preparations are made for journeys to other worlds.

ON MAY 10, 1869, a golden spike joined two railways at Promontory Point, Utah, and the first transcontinental railroad was completed. On Jan. 14, 2004, Pres. George W. Bush announced a new vision for our nation's space exploration program and committed the U.S. to a long-term human initiative to explore the solar system, starting with a return to the moon.

There is no doubt that the railroad changed the world, opening up frontiers to discovery, settlement, and commerce. The railroad was the backbone for the Industrial Revolution that provided the largest ...

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