, 7 February 2007 (UTC) 

 :::::::Gwen Gale, I completely agree with everything you've said. Before coming to this discussion page and reading your comments, I did question to myself the longterm impact this would have on the manned space program. It's already expensive enough to send people into space to do what machines can do and do more reliably for much, much less. Now, along with physical well-being, and despite their stellar educations and careers, we have to concern ourselves with their mental well-being as well. We can learn so much more, go so much farther, more reliably, for far less without astronauts imo. Things aren't going to change overnight. And despite future 'plans', I think this will (or at least 'should') be the beginning of the end. And it's long due.  00:33