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                                3316 Rocky Mount Road
                                Fairfax, VA 22031
                                November 22, 1988

Mr. John McLucas
QuesTech, Inc.
7600 Leesburg Pike
Falls Church, VA  22043

Dear John:

This is in response to the recent article in Issues authored by you and Burton Edelson.

Your basic concept of cooperation with the USSR in a space venture is right on and almost inevitable. However, I feel your concept is too narrow and can well lead to the same "all-eggs-in-one-basket" philosophy which you decry. Not only can a manned Mars flight bankrupt the U.S., it may also bankrupt our entire society. Some day a manned trip to Mars may be justified, but not before we have fully used the powerful tools we now have to expand man's knowledge without squandering what resources we have on a wild good chase with an undefined goal.

To me there are two major challenges facing us in space. The first is to put space to use in improving our capabilities to live on this Earth. The second is to expand man's knowledge through systematic exploration of the universe. I, like others, question whether sending man to Mars properly addresses either of these challenges. One thing I do know is that sending man to Mars will cost the best part of a trillion [