NASA/Ames scientists map our return to the moon

Thirty-nine years to the day after Neil Armstrong radioed "The Eagle has landed" from the Sea of Tranquility, NASA on Sunday turned its eyes toward the moon, gazing both forward and backward in time.

For the next three days, Silicon Valley will be the base for planning humankind's return to the moon, as more than 400 scientists from around the world assemble at NASA/Ames Research Center for a conference on what type of science should be done when astronauts revisit Earth's nearest neighbor.

It could happen in the decade after NASA retires the space shuttle in 2010 and begins flying a new generation of rocket booster. And it won't be a temporary visit, NASA officials and scientists said Sunday. The United States, they said, needs to focus on creating a permanent presence on the moon, using it as a training platform for missions to Mars and beyond.