The failure of the Augustine Commission to provide the Obama administration with a worthy objective for the American human spaceflight program threatens to leave NASA rudderless. Under these conditions, those who believe that the space program needs a real goal - and that goal should be humans to Mars - need to step forward. For this reason, the Mars Society is launching an international petition campaign, calling on President Obama to set the course for Mars. The petition is open to all to sign, regardless of age or nationality, because the question of whether NASA succeeds in doing what it can and should do to open the space frontier is a matter of vital concern to all humankind.

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin set foot on the Moon. In the 40 years since, no human has gone farther. Four decades of stagnation in human spaceflight is more than enough. We do not need a fifth. It is time for the people to speak. Sign the petition. Spread the petition. Post links to it on every website you can. Let the voice of the future be heard.

The petition can be found at www.HumansToMars.org