Do we still need to search for supernovae
In the last decade a major effort has been devoted to the study of supernovae, in particular those of type Ia for their role in the discovery of the acceleration of the Universe. In this contribution I will briefly review some of the new findings that have significantly advanced our understanding of supernovae of all types. At the same time I will argue that, in the next few years, there is the need and the opportunities to answer some of the fundamental questions that are still open.
At present manned cosmonautics programmes require finance, which might be generated by a space tourism programme. Some requirements for long-term human spaceflight programmes are outlined.