Mike Griffin on Exploration and Competitiveness
“It is my goal to get these critics to recognize that the development of space is a strategic capability for our nation, a view completely in keeping with the founding principles of the American nation – pushing back the frontier. There was a time when the land upon which we stand here in Chicago lay far beyond our western frontier. Today, that frontier lies in space. We’ve sent out the first few explorers, and they returned with wondrous tales. In President Kennedy’s famous words, “Now is the time to take longer strides”. The geography of our solar system dictates that these next strides will again be to Earth’s moon – three days journey away. But this time, a lunar outpost will follow soon afterward, allowing us to exploit its resources and its vantage point.”