Keith Watanabe * NET 2.0

The link here details some plans formulating over at NASA.  I have a few disputes with their visions though.  Most notably the following:

1) Returning to the Moon by 2020.  I think this date is preposterous and too far into the future.  To me, I feel that other countries, most notably China, India and possibly even Japan, will already accomplish this feat sooner. NASA needs to be far more aggressive with this date.  By this time, NASA should not only have returned to the Moon, but they also should have several outposts/habitats.
2) Sending larger payloads to the Moon ahead of time.  I think if NASA isn't ready to send large troves of people by this period, then definitely they'll need to haul fair sized payloads to the Moon.  Hopefully, NASA plans redundancy in case of failure.  When sending payloads, NASA should consider city-like visions in terms of the planning involved here.  My considerations for handling this would be focusing on launch pads, mining tools, raw materials for future development, mass quantities of non-perishable food.  They really need to consider future, fast expansion here.
3) The whole "step-in" spacesuits.  This looks like a flatout idiotic concept.  It's far too risky, although what's seems to be the theme here is cost savings and space reduction.  Don't skimp on the cost if it means preserving lives.

I hope that the architects re-consider these plans.  It seems like they're just fudging with a limited budget rather than planning something practical.  Kinda sad, really.