It may take a leap of faith to believe that NASA can successfully change course toward realistic goals for space exploration ”“ the same kind of faith that inspired the moon landings of a generation ago.

At Cape Canaveral last week, the agency was told that U.S. space exploration must pursue new goals and challenges. “We want to leap into the future; we want major breakthroughs; a transformative agenda for NASA,” President Obama said.

Major breakthroughs aren’t exactly a thing of the past among NASA’s scientists and engineers, but the agency’s approach to manned space flight is overdue for reconsideration. With the retirement of the space shuttle fleet, the focus for space exploration had reverted to the moon, and even this was judged by independent experts to be beyond NASA’s resources.

The president was at Cape Canaveral partly to confirm the bad news that the slow-moving Constellation program would be largely dismantled, and he was not applauded by those who anticipate the painful impact of a major course correction. Although he has significantly increased NASA’s budget, political opponents and those with a stake in Constellation have claimed the president is ready to abandon space exploration.

The president’s intent seems to be quite different. NASA has been asked to begin developing a versatile and efficient rocket for use in space exploration. Scientists will study the technical challenges of space travel. And one element of the Constellation program ”“ the Orion crew capsule ”“ will survive as a rescue craft for the International Space Station and perhaps as a part of future deep space missions.

Obama called for manned missions beyond low-earth orbit in the next decade, with a mission to orbit Mars by the mid 2030s. This plan, though it looks far into the future, is an improvement on the timetable that an independent commission forecast for Constellation.

Meanwhile, with an increase of $6 billion in NASA’s budget, the administration aims to expand robotic exploration of the solar system and launch an improved space telescope ”“ approaches that have proved their scientific worth. Plans also call for longer use of the space station and the development of private transport to deliver astronauts and equipment to it.

Setting out toward such goals will require both faith and patience. Whether this is the right approach won’t be known for years, and it is highly likely that between now and 2030, many circumstances may change.

All the more reason to begin with a plan that takes a realistic view NASA’s costs and timetable.

— Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Nick Cowenhoven at nickc@journaltribune.com.