US needs new deep-space Agency, Apollo astronaut says

December 11, 2012
harrison-schmitt-apollo17-astronaut-moonwalk

Astronaut Harrison Schmitt collects lunar rake samples during an Apollo 17 moonwalk in December 1972 (credit: NASA)

The U.S. should create a new agency dedicated to manned exploration of the moon, Mars and other destinations in deep space, says former Apollo astronaut Harrison Schmitt, Space.com reports.

Schmitt suggests the new agency be called the National Space Exploration Administration.

The new deep-space agency should “stay young, and develop a management structure that is not so hierarchical — that is actually a flat, level management structure so young ideas can reach the top very quickly,” added Schmitt.