We are told by NASA and the Bush Administration that we are setting our sites on manned space missions to the moon and mars and to eventually set up human colonies on each. I agree as you probably do that this is indeed a good start. Also having such colonies set up allows for Space Exploration pit stops for missions far beyond in our own solar system and elsewhere as well.

They figure we will have a human colony on Mars by 2030 or so and the leap-frog concept makes sense indeed, but also realize that private enterprise can get us there a lot sooner than NASA. You have to have a good jumping off point and outposts to assist in the game, but personally I am for sooner rather than later and more rather than less. And this is not just about budgets either, as it is about attitude and strength of character. It is more about vision than only money. Throwing money at the problem is government