BERKELEY -- Internal NASA memos are reportedly calling for a much earlier return to the moon than had previously been mentioned by President Bush in speeches he made in 2004. The plan, called "Lunar Sooner," would have NASA scale back space shuttle launches and put the savings towards the development of a new space vehicle capable of a manned mission to the moon as soon as 2017.

With the shuttle launches requiring budgets of about one billion dollars apiece, supporters of human spaceflight say this portion of NASA's budget would be well spent in its aim to get Americans back on the moon three years earlier than previously planned.

"It's a small price to pay for a country that was built on exploration," says space analyst Buddy Nelson. "They're utilizing off the shelf hardware -- principally solid rocket boosters and an engine that was used in the Apollo program."

Still, it could cost many tens of billions for the moon program. China and Russia have both recently announced plans to send their astronauts to the moon as early as nine years from now, mimicking what the U.S. and astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin did almost 37 years ago.

Another lofty aim of NASA, sending a manned mission to Mars, could cost more than a trillion dollars.

UC Berkeley astrophysicist Christopher McKee, who co-chairs the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Space Research, wonders if the expensive and ambitious projects would be worth the sacrifices they would require.

He points to the stunning success of the Mars Robot Rovers -- still going strong after more than two years -- and the astounding images returned by the now-jeopardized Hubble Space Telescope as examples of scientific missions that couldn't be supported if NASA presses forward with a manned mission to the moon.

McKee argues the cost of returning humans to the moon, much less sending them to Mars, simply cannot be justified on the basis of scientific discovery.

"I don't really see the scientific return that much," says McKee. "I do see great return in inspiring the nation's youth, in terms of driving technology."

McKee also says such a mission would be important as far as affirming America's technological leadership in space exploration. NASA's Ames Research Center here in the Bay Area would play a crucial role, developing new robots to pave the way for any manned missions.

Space experts say watch for any mention of moon missions in Tuesday's State of the Union speech.