This fictional public forum case study is centered on the 2004 decision by President George W. Bush to set NASA’s primary goal as a return to the Moon, followed by a mission to Mars. The members on the expert panel and audience are fictitious but the views they express on the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) are representative of those articulated by actual advocacy groups, scientists, engineers, space enthusiasts, and lay persons. The case is not simply about public policy, but touches upon the relative merits and deficiencies of manned space exploration and robotic space exploration, the consumer products and industries derived from the space program, the scientific rationale for a return to the Moon, as well as what worthwhile space missions may be terminated as a result of the VSE.