[meteorite-list] Bush's Space Initiative

[CalSouth1]

As there are quite a few space savvy folks on this list....just asking a question pertaining to Bush's speech.   He said the moon was the logical place to initiate space exploration missions.  Yet the moon has harsh environmental challenges.....and it seems those challenges are less on Mars.  Only the distance is a problem.    It would seem to me that a space station orbiting Earth would be the better place to initiate trips to Mars and beyond?   John