Cecil from St Albans - you need to read 'The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress' by Robert Heinlein - I think it'll change your mind and it's a great book anyway.

Ed Bullen, Sydney, NSW, Australia

To Eric Lance, the reason why we don't want a British Space program is that we know our politicians too well. They couldn't organise the proverbial in a brewery. The only benefit would be to the politicians in terms of votes, committees and yet more departments.

It's the state of the country that our fathers and grandfathers would be ashamed of.

A Peasant, Macclesfield, England

Please, not another Blue Streak escapade costing millions and getting nowhere through ill-defined objectives and feint heartedness! Britain already contributes 240 million euros to the European Space Agency (2005 figure), why try to go it alone? The justification (or propaganda) given is nonsense as usual: thousands of school children would be signing up to science courses because of it? Not even on a good day - scientists always have been underpaid in the UK. A cookery course is far better with the real prospect of becoming a celebrity chef on dumbed-down TV. But there we are: just mention "climate change" and the Treasury coffers open up without demur because it knows it will get the money back by soaking us all with extra green taxes.

Dwight Vandryver, Scholar Green, Cheshire, UK

The only reason this has happened now is because the French have decided the EU will have a space programme. The British Govt has decided that so as to appear not to be jumping to every diktat from the EU they will announce Britain's contribution in advance, as a so called 'British' programme. Of course, the money will go straight to the EU/French project.

George King, Wolverhampton, UK

I feel it is a bit ironic that today while a German astronaut larks about over your heads all but one of the commentators believes a British manned space program isn't worth the effort. Your fathers and grandfathers must feel ashamed of you.

Eric Lance, Kansas City, Missouri

Crowded prisons ? Lock the hoodies up in space. Job done !

cecil, St.Albans, UK

When astronauts winge enviously about having to win competitions or go to NASA to fulfill some childhood fantasy; when scientists start wrapping themselves in the national flag to get sympathy for a funding application, it has got to be a weak case. It is also bad timing. The lympics beat science to it in the expensive public folly stakes. When they are over and the real bill has been calculated, when the government has got a grip on crime, and we are out of the next recession, lets talk about this. Until then, its not a priority, its folly. I would also question why a body like the BNSC, which has such a clear vested interest in the outcome, should be spending money on the review.

julian, London, UK

What a waste of money, leave it to the Americans and the Russians, we have enough problems on the ground that affect real people

sukh, ilford, essex

Now we have delusions of grandeur!! How many billions will be wasted on this nonsense and I would certainly be very doubtful on any costings.

I am all for developing our engineering skills in this country but leave space to the Richard Bransons of this world to make.

Also note the magic words 'changing climate and weather' that are now attached to any dubious project to make it appear so much more worthwhile.

Stuart, Wessex,

About time! Good job we didn't try under Thatcher though, given her name of the 'iron lady' all that metal may have been too heavy for lift off :-)

Farrukh, Woking, UK

What will happen, indeed is already happening, is that other areas of research will be cut to bolster the funding of the manned space program. Areas of particle physics in which UK leads the world are being cut at the time of writing, by the Science and Technology Facilities Council. Money from exceptionally good science programmes will be diverted into an incredibly expensive and scientifically pointless white elephant. What a waste of the taxpayers' money !

caffeineman, newcastle, uk