US plans to put man on the moon again by 2019

Washington, Apr 9: The United States plans to put people on the moon again by 2019, says National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) chief Michael Griffin.

In an appearance on the C-SPAN television networks yesterday, he said the NASA had budgeted for plans to send US astronauts back to the moon 50 years after the first successful lunar landing in 1969.

''Our plan right now is people back on the moon in 2019,'' he said.

Mr Griffin said he was concerned at the ''significant'' gap in US human space flight following the retirement of the US space shuttle programme in 2010.

The NASA chief said his agency had many other commitments to complete first. These included winding up the space shuttle programme by 2010 and having replacement vehicles ready in a timely manner.

He said it was important for the United States to continue pursuing space travel and exploration.

''So, unlike in the 1960's, when the space race of that time was the United States and Russia, today we are in a world where three, and soon four or more nations or alliances will have the capability to operate independently with people in space,'' he said.

UNI