WASHINGTON (States News Service) -- George W. Bush and Al Gore both support completing the International Space Station (ISS) and preparing for a possible human mission to Mars.

In responses from the Republican and Democratic presidential candidates to five questions submitted by SPACE.COM on key space policy issues, few stark differences in policy emerged.

The Candidates Respond to SPACE.com's Questions

What would President George W. Bush do for space? Read on to see his responses to SPACE.com's questions.

Would President Al Gore send a manned mission to Mars? See what he told SPACE.com.

Given this record, the vice president would likely continue in the direction set by the current administration. A Gore presidency may also stick to NASA's cost-cutting mantra, "faster, better, cheaper," started by Administrator Dan Goldin.

A Republican administration would also make finishing the station a priority, but Bush's response indicated he would take a more cautious approach to other large, international missions. Bush's call for a strong defense may increase NASA's budget.

However, Bush has also called for thinning the size of government.

There are some other key issues -- not addressed in the questions submitted to the candidates -- that the next administration will face.

One priority of the aerospace industry is to loosen U.S. export controls, which are meant to protect national security but are considered a barrier to science missions. The export rules have caused an uproar in universities and industry, and are therefore likely to be a key topic early in the next administration.

Another area is modernization of launch ranges, many of which date back to the 1960s, said Bruce Mahone, director of space policy for the Aerospace Industries Association.

The association is looking for more investment in research and development, and more favorable policies toward space commercialization. Some are also calling for the White House to create a "space czar" to coordinate space policy issues.

Both campaigns said completing the station is a top priority. The degree of commitment by the next administration will be crucial to finishing its construction by 2006, after a two-year delay. The skyscraper-sized station is to become the basis for near-Earth scientific experiments for 10 years afterwards, and a possible springboard for human exploration to Mars.

The candidates' comments suggest different approaches towards what the orbital outpost should be used for, and the degree of government involvement in the station after it is up and running.

A Gore administration would likely commit not only to completing the International Space Station that the vice president had a key role in starting in 1993, but also to continuing Russia's oft-criticized role.

Gore said completing the station should be the beginning of a "forward-looking policy on human exploration." He supports using the station to pursue "aggressive" robotic missions to Mars and the moon as precursors for possible human missions.

The Bush campaign said it favors handing over responsibility for managing the ISS to a non-government entity. This is a goal professed by Republicans in Congress, and NASA is taking subtle steps toward implementing such a hand-over.

The candidates differ on the role of international cooperation.

Cash-strapped Russia has drawn most of the blame for the delays, and because the country is still in the "critical path" of developing the ISS, the next administration's relations with Russia will be key.

The campaign for Gore, who played a key role in fostering the U.S.-Russia collaboration on ISS in 1993, said the program has moved from a "concept to a reality." He said the contributions from the United States and the 11-country European Space Agency in the space station are "crucial."

The Bush team said it generally supports making a space project with other nations "structured so that it is not captive to the successful contribution of any one foreign partner."

Both candidates said they support space exploration and gave tacit approval of developing a possible human Mars mission. They also agree on lowering the costs of space transportation, a key issue to the commercial industry.

The Gore camp was more forceful than Bush in making the case to send humans to Mars.

"I firmly believe that sending humans to Mars must be a goal that we achieve in the 21st century."

The Gore camp said the International Space Station should be a testing ground for possible voyages.

There is little disagreement between the candidates in terms of supporting teaching of space topics in schools.

The Gore campaign approved education to help understand our health, environmental preservation, weather prediction, biological breakthroughs and higher education. He said children "should be encouraged to learn how we could apply knowledge to establish a permanent human presence in space in order to improve life on Earth."

He also said schools should show imagery from the Hubble and Chandra Space Telescopes, and recommended students to learn the effects of weightlessness to improve making medical drugs.

Bush noted NASA's responsibility to develop advance hurricane warnings, help farmers tend their crops, and said such investments make "us better stewards of the Earth."

Gore mentioned some specific achievements of the Clinton administration, including the LANDSAT 7 spacecraft and satellite weather-mapping satellites.

Gore said he would support NASA's "Earth Science Enterprise" to provide a view from space to help improve quality of life on Earth.

Neither candidate ventured to answer the big question: whether they believe life exists elsewhere in the universe. Gore, who played a key role in developing the "Origins" program to explore the origin of life, said he would support its four space-based observatories to probe for life elsewhere.