Obama cancels Moon return project

President Barack Obama has cancelled the American project designed to take humans back to the Moon.

The Constellation programme envisaged new rockets and a new crewship called Orion to put astronauts on the lunar surface by 2020.
But in his 2011 budget request issued on Monday, Mr Obama said the project was too costly, "behind schedule, and lacking in innovation".
US space agency Nasa has already spent $9bn (£5.6bn) on the programme.



The president said Constellation was draining resources from other US space agency activities. He plans instead to turn to the private sector for launch services.
"While we're cancelling Constellation, we're not cancelling our ambitions," said Jim Kohlenberger, chief of staff at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP).
"This isn't a step backwards. I think the step backwards was trying to recreate the Moon landings of 40 years ago using largely yesterday's technology, instead of game-changing new technology that can take us further, faster and more affordably into space."



The decision to cancel Constellation was immediately condemned by Congressional figures who represent workforces dependent on the programme. Lee Más >>