Sen. Nelson: NASA Will Fly Again With Missions, Jobs

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson still has high hopes for the space program, even though the shuttle era has ended. The Florida Democrat also believes that NASA will become a huge employer in Florida again during the next 10 to 20 years when the agency resumes exploration.

During a brief interview with Florida’s online political blog the Shark Tank,  Nelson predicted that NASA would attempt a manned mission to Mars — and pursue other manned missions as well — once a safer and more capable spacecraft is developed.

The agency is still alive and well overall and ready to tackle new challenges, said Nelson, who once flew on the space shuttle.