Out in the rocky mountains, you feel closer to space. The veil of air is thin; the stars and planets seem nearer. So it's fitting that the capital of the movement to send humans to Mars is at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

In the interests of journalistic full disclosure, I must note here that it's a movement I'm proud to be part of. Since 1981, I've gone to Boulder for occasional conferences of Mars flight enthusiasts; the most recent was last August. I still remember the very first "Case for Mars" conference, organized by a band of graduate students who had no idea what sort of reception their proposed convocation would receive. After all, the last government official to endorse manned flight to Mars had been Richard Nixon's soon-to-be-disgraced vice president, Spiro Agnew-an unfortunate patron saint.