I hope this fits in with the political theme well enough. My friends and I were having a discussion yesterday about the " next step " in space exploration. Of course we all had different views on the subject. A question I brought up to my friends is if NASA is taking the so called easy way out and not taking as many risks as they used to. I fully understand the importance of safety, but risks need to be taken if anything is going to get done. At least this is my take on the situation. Please discuss.