MARS

Regarding “Selling Mars,” by Kathryn Phillips (June 25): Louis Friedman’s response to the argument that the moon, not Mars, should be the next goal of our manned space program--that the moon “bores the public”--points out the inherent risk of his focusing solely on a trip to Mars. What’s to keep the same public boredom from settling over a Mars mission? Witness the Apollo era: Despite the fact that it included some of the most dramatic moments in the history of mankind, it faded to an obscure close after the initial goal--traveling to the moon--had been met and the public’s attention moved on to other things.

Were it not for the space race, Apollo could have been structured as a series of challenges that linked together to form an ongoing plan for the future. Each element could have left behind an infrastructure of launch vehicles, orbital platforms, industrial facilities and scientific outposts that could remain useful and continue to grow once the symbolic “goal” had been met.

We shouldn’t repeat the same mistake. Let’s go to Mars, but let’s make sure we leave something behind for when we return.

DAN MOLITOR

Burbank