Would the two of you please write to the Langley PAO and get full copies of the CAPS studies before you comment? It would be much much better if you actually learned about what you were talking about before you commented.

The constant argument you two try to use is that CAPS only makes sense when combined with development of the Moon, and that then since the development of Moon is not effective when compared with the development of Mars, therefore CAPS should not be done. You're grasping at straws, and your premise here is mistaken, so please, please write for the full report.

It also never seems to occur to you two (and others as well) that the heavy launch vehicles developed for CAPS could then be used for manned Mars flight. It also never occurs to you two that there is no other way that those heavy lift vehicles will be developed other than for CAPS, as at the current time the general public is simply not willing to finance manned flight to Mars in and of itself.

Look you two, you can have your ice cream, but only after you've had your dinner.

In closing,
Back to the Moon, this time to stay, and then on, on to Mars.
EP