February 27, 2006
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NASA
The Bush administration has put out plans for a budget in 2007 which include 16.8 billion dollars spent on NASA. I am astounded that we spend so much money on space exploration. My understanding is that a bulk of that money is spent on exploration and experiments. It does not take much money to actually repair satellites and items that help us here.
I have heard people express the opinion that the Space Shuttle program is very similar to what people were doing when they came over to America. The only difference to me is that life was possible in America. Life really will never be realistic in my opinion in space. I believe that money would be better spent on people in our own country.
Is space travel a waste of money?
Comments (207)
Why… yes.
I agree with you 100% on this.
2nd in some ways
Hell Yes!!
Candy
no
nope…think of all the stuff we’ve gotten from space…velcrow, medicines,etc. possibly the cure for cancer could be found in space..?
Everyone wants to understand the unknown. But I think we need to get our priorities straight.
Starving people first, stars later.
HOLY FUCKING SHIT I GOT TEH FIRST AGAIN WTFLOLLMFAOOMGZORZ!!!11!!!111!!!one!!
Absolutely!
Well…
space research is always good. If we had a real budget to do so, I’d be all for it. But Bush sending people to mars when there’s a gigantic deficite just disturbs me.
to me it should not cost that much. I think the money could be spent on far better things.
Maybe to help send my child to college!
wow… people sure comment fast on this little bugger.
No it is not a waste of money- how else are we going to defeat the G’oulds, and convert the Klingons, and meet the Vulcans!
We should cut the budget for it.
In some ways. Now that I think about it, it really could be put towards other things that are far more important.
yes indeed. Lets fix the problems we have here on earth FIRST before we try and mess up outer space.
Yes, very much so.
Amanda
yea, i think it is… it would cost a fraction of that to explore the aquatic world, which is a part of our planet… so i think that is much more important
velcro wasnt found in space. it was invented by a guy that was out hikiking and he noticed how these burrs (seeds) were sticking to his clothes. They had hooks and barbs on them, just like velcro does. It wasnt something from OUTER space. LOL check your facts
total waste of money! frustrates me till no end we have people starving all over the world but some would spent that kind of money for a thrill. not worth it in my opinion.
Only to send our trash to the Sun. That’s it.
Yes, to a point. I like to know things, so I wouldn’t say cut out all the exploration/knowledge-seeking. The Hubble Telescope, the picture-taking missions, etc –those are all great. But sending people to Mars to search for possible life billions of years ago? Why?! WE cannot live there, or if we could, it would be a fantastic sum of money to make it possible. And why does it matter if slugs lived there 65 billion years ago? They’re obviously not there now!
Space exploration will be awesome when there’s food on every plate and clothes on every back. Seriously. Take care of your own before sending men into space.
~Erika
No.
RYC: awww thanks I got your vitual hug and it was nice.
Well, it’s a bit overboard on the spending.
yes
Yes.
Until technology improves drastically.
But it’s never going to improve if we don’t spend money on it.
Ouch?
The Bush administration does seem to have a way with spending money elsewhere that needs to be spent in his own backyard. Just 35 months left, I believe, if I calculated correctly.
Not soon enough.
Considering the amount of technilogical advances that have come into our society from the space program and people dreaming, I would say whole-heartedly that it is not a waste of money.
all the while OUR OWN (meaning kids in the US of A) are homeless, starving on welfare in gangs. My g-ma is on a fixed income and can’t spend more than 150 per mo. on food. Hey how ’bout a lil money for our kids and grandparents Mr. Bush!
I don’t consider space exploration a waste of money. It’s a win or lose situation. Until we have proof of no other existance and continue exploring until there is nothing else to explore, we should pursue. We never know what we could gain from space travel if we discontinue funding explorations.
Yes. They can’t swallow the fact that we’re controlled by green beings.
On the more serious note, that much money could be used to research the cure for cancer or AIDS or any deadly disease lurking in the world.
That could actually save lives.
Are WE saving lives by space traveling? Not really.
No way. Its not a waste of money.
What a coincidence! I was actually reading up on this yesterday. I must note that several things have been developed for the astronauts that we ourselves use today, like CAT scans and MRIs, and because of research in space, we have created medicines and other useful things like GPS. Space is not a waste. It is just too expensive.
NO!!!
theres so much beauty in God’s black sky… its so amazing, why not admire it?
I think the priorities are messed up. I think the money could be better spent, like funds for student loans (instead of reducing them…as if they’re easy to come by!!!!), millions of homeless, starving people, the deficit, social security, need I continue?
No it isn’t impossible. I seem to remeber several failed colonization attempts. The sattelites wouldn’t even be up there if it wasn’t for space exploration. We need to do it. If we don’t life will never improve on earth. with over population, mass energy consumption and increased warming…not to mention all the stuff Bush has messed up….there is npo where else to go.
no, it’s exploration into the unknown, it’s so cool! Since when have people been afraid of spending money on what’s cool, lol.
and RYC: because… I’ll be old and decrepit and have to be a legal adult and all that jazz. Meh. Sounds like a lot of work.
I think we should judge a tree by its fruit. What sort of good fruit comes from the space program? I think it has helped contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge, and it has definitely helped satiate mankind’s collective exploratory cravings. Beyond those two (which are significant, but maybe not 16Billion in significance), not a whole lot in my modest opinion.
probably. but we won’t know until we find out!
needless to say, either way that money could be spent a lot better! We have starving people and an AIDS epidemic, for starters, to take care of! And our children didn’t deserve that 7% educatoin funding cut, either….
Yes.
Well I have never heard of any HUGE life altering discovery. For a couple billion I think we should be getting something really good for our money, and we aren’t. The money should go to something better to help the world. Perhaps to our military budget so we can destroy and rebuild more inslaved counrites? Sarcasm…… We should us the money to feed people and keep all the food away from the huge americans that can’t stop eating.
I kinda ran away with that one…I hope you can forgive me.
~G~
or people in other countries
Compared to our other necessities on earth, yes, completely.
It’s a waste of money.
Spend the money on other countries! We are generally very well off as a country.
Ah, but you see…. The more we know about the universe as a whole, the more we can learn about our own little part of it! I think it is well worth the money spent!
I don’t know really.
i guess we won’t know for a while.
for now… i guess that money could be going to more important things.
Don’t you know Dan…. your human governments spend money to further enrich the plutocracy… government by the wealthy, for the wealthy.
No, I don’t think it is. I agree it is a little exorbitant…but that money goes towards creating new technology and exploring new places. The technology they create helps us in everyday life. How boring would it be to not go beyond your own planet or see what else is out there? I think we should find out everything about this universe we live in. I think it’s worth it or it will be in the long run.
I say education first. Then exploration. I want to explore the seas (less discovered than space! only less than one percent of it!) But when we discover things, there will be no money left to teach it! But in the end, it’s not a waste. We just need to budget better
yes
What most people don’t know is that space exploration really does have a payoff. We get numerous new kinds of technology, and medical knolege from it. Many new matirials, and chemicles were discovered, or invented by NASA. I’ve heard if you factor that stuff in it pays for itself. Not to mention putting a man on mars would be wicked awesome
Hmm.. You make a good point. I’m not sure though… I’m sitting this one out
Not at all. The science we learn will be used in the real world (freeze dried food, solar suits, ect).
I’m not sure how they waste that much money…we haven’t gone many places.
It could be considered a waste of money in others’ eyes…but as for me, I have a fascination with space. I want to know so much more about it.
But I disagree with you. I believe life is possible in space, that somewhere there is a planet with air. Or perhaps we could use those giant domes.
Money well spent. I don’t see how anyone can think with the trillions of planets that we are the only one with life on it.
yes, especially at this moment of budget crisis… (written by an educator)
how is space travel and exploration a waste of money, and spending a million dollars per episode per actor on “friends” is NOT a waste of money? when did science become a waste of money? entertainment has taken precidence over america; sports and actors and singers make the most money out of anyone, and what are they doing? entertaining our boring selves. If we’re looking to stop world starvation and poverty perhaps we need to start looking in the most obvious places, not at science.
I think it’s definitely worth it. But hey, maybe the next president will invest 16.8 Billion in genetics… THEN we’d be set.
The seas really should be explored, though…that fascinates me too.
i guess it is.. that money can feed many poor people, that money can cure many sick people..
I never say things like this, but considering that believers have expected the return of Christ and been saying “look at the signs!” for the last 2000 years, we could be here a lot longer than many of us think. Our planet’s taking a pretty harsh beating , so maybe exploring the possiblity isn’t an entire waste. I think it’s like survival of the fittest. The idea is that saving the entire human race is more important than adding 30-50 years to some of the more unfortunate of our race. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. I’M NOT SAYING I FEEL THIS WAY! I just think that’s the philosophy behind space exploration.
I like babygirlbanister’s slugs comment.
My tuition is going up, financial aid is being cut, and we’re spending money on space? Space is there, it has stars, it’s pretty, and yes, too much money is spent on it. There’s no reason to spend that much on space exploration.
http://www.xanga.com/racheek/434177268/item.html
coincedence : )
I think space travel should be privately funded, instead of government funded. I mean really, do we NEED to go into space? Do we HAVE to put a man on Mars? No. But we do HAVE to have a military and kids MUST be educated. It’s a question of good (space investigation) and best (the million other things on the goverment to do list.)
Yes and No.
Perhaps I just do not have the foresight to see the true scientific value of space exploration. Mind you, the trip to the Americas several centuries ago was really supposed to be a trip to India. Perhaps we might find something else by accident.
well, the government throws money away on way more wasteful stuff than space travel so I guess it’s one of the less wasteful things the government could be spending tax payers money on.
I don’t think we can concentrate all of our resources in any particular area. We never know what might come up, we need to stay diverse in the way we approach both the sciences and the humanities. I think broadening the understanding of our world is in an important endevour on all fronts.
Space travel would be a waste of money if it were not for the fact that the technological development these programs create benefits society tremendously as it is applied in other industries. This spending is not just for exploration, it is for research and development.
The quest for knowledge supercedes all.
I’m going to have to defend this one, especially since I’m in college for aerospace engineering (which includes, but is not limited to, rocket science). The things that scientists and engineers come up with for spaceflight are absolutely cutting-edge technology, which eventually “trickles down” into products and gadgets used by everyday consumers. Spacecraft have to be engineered to the highest level; absolutely no excess weight, no wasted space. This also means that there is much less safety and backup equipment built into them, resulting in a higher failure rate than, say, bridges. Anyhow, point is that space exploration is the driving force behind human technology, because the harsh, unlivable nature of space demands our very best creations.
Yes we do spend lots of money on space exploration or Iraq…….. but we spend in America much much more in trivial more pointless things like Billboards and TV commercials
yes! it’s interesting, but what the hell does it really matter when people are going hungry on earth? Jupiter doesn’t care if we land a probe on it, and that sure doesn’t feed earthlings.
I might point out that Iraq War spending is approaching over $310 billion. That’s five space programs.
God, yes, invest in space exploration. We need to start populating other worlds eventually. Think of it in terms of species survival. Colonize a new planet, double humanity’s chance of survival.
We need to do these things now. If we put it off until we fix the Earth, then we’ll never do it.
In Brevard County FL where I live and the shuttle is launched and the new CEV will be built and maintained space travel is not only not a waste of money it is a good investment for our economy.
YES. FINALLY someone says it. an extremely excessive amount of money is being spent on space exploration these days and well, we probably should try fixing our planet before we go explore.. kind of like the idea that your mom told you you couldn’t go out & play until you cleaned your room.
yes
I don’t mind spending money on the space program. The challenges of reaching outer space have lead to many useful innovations. But there are certainly more important matters facing us.
I think MOST government spending is wasteful — even when it is for a good cause.
(“I was born and raised an orphan / in a land that once was free / in a land that poured its love out on the moon” — Larry Norman ‘Great American Novel’)
Why yes. I am glad to see someone shares my idea of sending our trash to the sun.
Hmmm….you know, I really never thought of it that way. I’d say a lot of it is a waste of time, though.
Me, I like constellations. Pictures in the sky. Who cares how a star works?
But I guess without space travel we wouldn’t have velcro.
You win some you lose some.
yes and no yes because we do need that money for other things in this country and yes because we are as far as i can comprehend just doing this to beat other countries to it which just seems too childish for a nation to do
no because we do need to know whats out there and if there’s something out there that could have helpful qualities is(most likely) well worth it…………
Couldn’t resist:
What if Jesus returned to Earth and we weren’t here anymore?
(“And if there’s life on other planets / Then I’m sure that he must know / And He’s been there once already / And has died to save their souls” – Larry Norman ‘UFO’)
OK, that’s enough LN quotes… I’ll shut up now.
No, we need something like this to capture our imaginations. It gives us something to dream about, something way beyond our comprehension. Its good stuff!
I know I’m probably number 100 and you probably won’t get to me…but, I think that although space exploration and such is beneficial, but as someone previously mentioned…priorities. Darfur, China, pick a place and you’ve got problems. I think we should try and fix what’s becoming a ruined world before we go try and ruin another one.
NO! I have been, and always will be a supporter of our space program. The information we’ve learned has been priceless and numerous.
no no see, we gotta get to mars.
pfft. Can’t believe Bush tried that propaganda.
i agree with you all the way
People are starving in Africa and a broken contintent causes ebola and malira..
and here we spend millions of dollars on what a black sky which we dont even know squat about.
But i guess GOD wants us to know the land in which HE gave us…..so that is questionable
Erica
you never know.. i dont think so
no
To a certain extent.
Space has many secrets we haven’t unlocked, and if we stop our efforts to improve the space program, we are going to regret it in the future.
What if the day comes where Earth alone will be unable to support our population?
Nope
I’m impressed, only two people (unless I missed someone) brought up religion in this topic.
Hell no. People is always gwine to be starvin’ and dying and messed up. Money gets spent on the arts and movies and entertainment and dining out while people are starving to death and dying and at war. Politicians get paid loads of money and nobody thinks that most of them are doing much to help the human race out.
Space is awesome, and just because it might not lead to the cure for cancer doesn’t mean we should stop checkin’ it out. I mean… everyone and their mom thought number theory was useless, but now you can thank some number theorist everytime you pay with credit online because your danged number is safe and loads of other dumb information is safe.
yes
I agree with the long term survival aspect though. This planet will die eventually no matter what we do and humanity will need a new home.
Yes, with that amount. We shouldn’t rule out space travel entirely but I think that amount of money would have better use in Education
Yup.
Hell no cause the aliens are coming, the aliens are coming! We need an escape plan don’t ya know. Dude no offense, but, damn I can’t stand dubya (W). Space exploration is all well and good. Got to agree here, we need to take care of our own here. 1st stop Clinton 08, things will be better with another democrat in office and a woman… This country could be great again!
I think a disproportionate amount of our tax dollars are spent on space versus humanitary/health care/homeland & border security.
Forgive my sloppy math earlier. Iraq war does not equal 5 space budgets. Space budget equals 5% of Iraq war. Ergo, Iraq War equals 20 space budgets.
No
The profile picture, yes. The banner, nay.
“The only difference to me is that life was possible in America. ”
Hmmm… well first I gotta say I don’t know how far back you are going when you say this, but no one but the people already here knew America even existed – hell for all they knew they could have just falled off the face of the earth. As for recently – a lot of people only hear stories of America, while yes they can still breath and eat to survive, but they still don’t truely know what it can hold for them. I mean hey, all the stories they’ve ever heard could have been a big lie. Kind of like why Iceland is iceland and Greenland is greenland – it was all a lie.
People are naturally curious – so it’s shouldn’t be of shock that people want to explore outter space. I’ve never really been 100% for the space funding, but then again who knows what can be found – you never know till you try. Yes it could be billions of dollars down the drain, but something incredible could also come of this. It’s kind of like saying well i’m going to stop supporting cancer research because there will probably never be a cure. It should all be supported, you never know what we’ll find. I guess the debate is who should get more funding – but then again it doesn’t really matter because not everyone will agree.
I used to think so. Then I remember shortly after the Columbia disaster, hearing about some of the things that had resulted from space exploration — from little things like velcro to big things like mammograms. As my mother is a breast cancer survivor, that stood out to me. Her’s is a life saved by a routine mammogram. How many lives have been saved that way? I’ll bet many, many more than have been lost. I consider that worthwhile!
Some of those things have been learned faster BECAUSE of space exploration. Because that is true, I think we need to continue to invest in it.
It’s not a waste of time, but the government shouldn’t really be doing much of it. We’ve grown so accustomed to some of the things we get from space that we virtually need them, and it is not cheap to launch a satellite into space or to maintain them. On the other hand, NASA, like many other agencies, would be much better run in private hands. But that’s coming from a die-hard libertarian who thinks that Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and the Department of Education should be abolished and that the IRS should be gutted.
Let’s see: Defense Budget for 2007, $439.3 Billion; Nasa Budget $16.8 Billion; Sunami relief $350 million; Cost of the Iraq War so far, $244 Billion . Somehow I don’t think the Nasa budget is that big a deal. So my answer is yes to space explaration and no to war.
Let’s see: Defense Budget for 2007, $439.3 Billion; Nasa Budget $16.8 Billion; Sunami relief $350 million; Cost of the Iraq War so far, $244 Billion . Somehow I don’t think the Nasa budget is that big a deal. So my answer is yes to space explaration and no to war.
Let’s see: Defense Budget for 2007, $439.3 Billion; Nasa Budget $16.8 Billion; Sunami relief $350 million; Cost of the Iraq War so far, $244 Billion . Somehow I don’t think the Nasa budget is that big a deal. So my answer is yes to space explaration and no to war.
What about education!
Hilary in office! NOOOOOOOOOO…have you seen her ideals? The family being outdated, kids being raised outside of the traditional family…oh no I’m not voting for that woman.
yes, need to get our priorities straight. people are dying…
Was the money put into computers a waste? If not for any of the other possible benefits (national pride, gaining knowledge about our solar system and others, potential for life elsewhere, finding Yoda, etc.) I believe the jumps made in our earthside technology more than warrant it. I’ll use the example of satelites which have changed our lives in ways that the Sputnik team never dreamed of. What other stuff could we discover to improve the lives of those on earth? Maybe a new form of metal that’s better for construction of sky scrapers. Maybe the ultimate renewable source of energy. And if we couldn’t find a planet with a suitable climate for humans to survive we could, at least, produce artificial habitats kind of like we have now in space stations, but more permanent and self-sustaining.
I can understand your point and I feel compelled to agree with you, but honestly, the more we understand about space, the greater we can understand Science, which can and will help us here on Earth.
I think with the billions and billions we spend everywhere is only getting us into deeper and deeper into debt and we gain only a little for the money. We spend only a little here and there on what matters. We are always subjected by our creditors on a daily basis, where are the creditors with whom collect from the government and help get us out of debt. We would be better off if we could get that monkey off our backs first.
Humanity has always had a great desire to explore and conquer; look at Columbus and the Spaniards. To deny this basic urge would be to deny the very fabric of humanity and one of our strongest instincts. Also, space exploration gives us something to focus on, and I think we need to invest more time and effort in it than we are now because of this: Back in the days when Europe dominated the world, countries competed by exploring and conquering rather than blowing each other up. Once we ran out of land to take over, the world got a lot more hostile, everyone got more defensive, and life became a bit more uncomfortable. World wars followed, and then, once a new frontier was discovered and became practical (uh, space), the conflicts died down as we entered a competitive cold war with Russia. We never fired a shot at them, and no one died, and we accomplished a whole freakin lot as far as tech advances go, so maybe pouring some more money into the exploration of new lands, however practical or inpractical they may be, isn’t such a bad idea if it’ll spur some more competition and satiate the appetite everyone has for exploring and conquering. Wars start when people run out of land to conquer, so what better way is there to usher in world peace than to research new ways to spread out and give each other room?
I think that that money could definately used here on this earth where it is MUCH needed!
I don’t think basic research and exploration are wasted money. It inspires the mind and make people aim for higher goals.
Humans must explore and learn and that is the task of NASA.
I say yes, that money could be used with things we need more help with, like discovering cures, or it can go to education…but…no..we waste it going to space..how could that be better then a cure for cancer or diabetes? Or how could it be better then seeing a poor 5 year old get a chance to go to a school that idk, helps with the cost of things like book bags etc. I really think the money would be better used elsewhere
I would have to say that I do think they could spend the money on more here and now things but I am from Florida and that space travel does give jobs to alot of people here so in reality it is helping put food in mouths and roofs over peoples heads…it just depends on the way you look at it…have the people work for their money or they could sit on their laurels and collect the money…you decide….I prefer them to work…I like the whole space thing….
Hey, what was concluded about the mascot? I keep checking to see if the results have been tallied….if you want I can count them for you…….
No, not a waste at all. I totally think people will find a way to live in space. Not in our lifetime or maybe not even our childrens but I think one day and I think it will be needed.
Maybe 16.8 can be cut a little though.
I WANT MOON GEMS, MON!!
alright, I’ll say no. if they didn’t “waste” all that money on space exploration and experiments back 40 years ago, we wouldn’t HAVE those satelites that we use now.
and what does RYC mean?
yes
imagine one day when we cant live on earth and our only solution was live outa space. u would think back then ‘we wish we can’ from wat i learn in my university at thhe moment. resource would run out in the next 50 year. then wot do we do> wait and die
in ways it is a waste…but the research can be good. it depends on how you look on it
How could you ask that??? There is NO way it can be a waste. We have benefited by alot of things already due to the space program.
When there are children in our nation going to bed hungry, space exploration is a waste of money. When there are citizens sleeping on the streets because a hurricane destroyed their livlihood, space exploration is a waste of money. When the elderly are dying because they cannot afford their medication, SPACE EXPLORATION IS A WASTE OF MONEY.
Space Exploration, to a certain extent, is in fact useless. but if you look at how far NASA has come even in the last few years, you start to wonder what else is out there.
considering the way the world is….i would feel safer in space…..its not a waste of money cause i believe its our future….its going to happen whether we like it or not….its not only to repair things…if you watch all the discovery channels alot…they are doing expiraments on genetics and all kinds of other experiments to understand life itself….its not a waste of money…they really seem to be moving along with it….not saying things couldnt go wrong or anything….but what can you do about it anyways?
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gives*
No it is not! Many of the modern conveniences you and I enjoy today are offshoots of the Space Program. I am not talking about just medical advances that help a few. I’m also talking about Stero Equipment and personal computers and a host of other products.
kinda
…. it seems important in the sense that we’re furthering our knowledge and such… but … what’s the point really?… when not that many people are involved and can enjoy it? and i can’t believe they spend that much on it! wow… imagine if all that money went into health care or education.
seems that most ppl agree with you… but what can we do? is there anyway to object this?
Thank you so much for the kind words this last week – you have no idea how overwhelmed I was by the response! It’s stirred me to go ahead and blog again, despite what has happened. It will take me a while to get back into the swing of life again but no better time to start than right now huh? Thanks so much again!
Thank you so much for the kind words this last week – you have no idea how overwhelmed I was by the response! It’s stirred me to go ahead and blog again, despite what has happened. It will take me a while to get back into the swing of life again but no better time to start than right now huh? Thanks so much again!
No, but government-negotiated contracts are a waste.
I wish….I were a fish.
ABSOLUTELY! They won’t pay to take care of our displaced and distressed hurricane victims, but we’ll pay for space travel. It’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of. We have to take care of our own Americans before we go play around in space.
space travel is a dream.. everyone wants to live out their dream.
i know i would lov to live on different planets, if ever possible!!! i can just imagine years from now when u can live on venus and your parents pick jupiter. yay!
I think that, in some ways, it’s justified. It’s like any other scientific exploration– we’re finding out things about our environment, which yes does include outer space.
But the argument that we have better things to spend money on is not lost on me… But does that mean we should halt all seemingly frivolous expensive research projects untill we attain an impossible level of stanbdard of living for everyone? (I say impossible b/c while people are now saying that the bare minmum is having clothes, food, and shelter for every human being, by the time we get there the standards will have shifted and we’ll be instead crying out for additional things as the “bare minimum”, like a nicer house or a car for transportation). “Poor” is all relative, and it all depends on who else is out there (i.e. what do the richer people have?). Our nation’s poorest populations already have much more than half our population had 100 years ago, but the standards just keep changing.
So although we should never stop striving for better care for our poorest people and our own issues at home, I also don’t know if we need to sacrifice other, less pressing but still worthy enterprises like space exploration.
I guess it’s finding the balance between these 2 that is the kicker.
ps- to add to the “money should be better spent somewhere else” we could also help ourselves treemendously if we made government spending more efficient and cut back on pork barrel spending, which results in huge amounts of money going absolutrely nowhere except Uncle Sam’s buddy’s pocket.
Never a waste to explore the unknown.
Didn’t velcro come from NASA? Where would we be today without velcro?!?
(ok, I’ll seriously quit commenting now…)
I don’t think it is a waste of money. Consider the value of teflon.
Daaaaang Daaaaaaan!!! ha ha
Bush is the waste of money. To be honest, I hope he and all of his cronies are well out of office and erased from our history before we make contact with those out there… I sure as hell don’t want them to know that we allowed his brand of criminal stupidity such a seat of power. It makes us look REALLY stupid.
As for space exploration, I think it is very important. Just because we currently do not have hte technology to live out there doesn’t mean we won’t develop it.
ryc: not quite yet
Space travel? They need to be working on earth travel… with the way gas is going… uuugggggg.
Yes.. maybe.. I dunno!
Hiya Dan, I need legal help. Do you know where I can find some. I figured you would know because of all the pople you talk to. I appreciate any help you could give me.
Donna
I have a hard time swallowing how much money is spent on space travel when there are people starving every night and homeless.
there have been many hidden benefits to “space travel”, more particularly in the infrastructure that surrounds it. in order to penetrate outer space, scientists have come up with technologies that benefit us in other areas (kevlar springs to mind). additionally, the human race needs something to inspire us, to take us beyond the rigours and disappointments of everyday life. the prospect of space exploration provides this… the vastness of space puts us in perspective… the fragility of our planet as seen from outer space reminds us that we had better take care of it since “Life really will never be realistic in my opinion in space”…
life on Earth can be harsh, especially if you are a member of the working poor or live in a third world nation. but i would rather the government spend the money in ways that can inspire us and provide us with new technologies than spend it on bombs. i am not naïve enough to believe the money saved would ever go to feed the poor or house the homeless or clothe the naked. that would make too much sense.
I really thought it was until I visited NASA in Houston a few months ago. A lot goes into the program that helps the future of medicine and the environment. So, a few months ago, I would have said yes, but now that I’m informed about that, I can clearly say no, it’s not a waste!
we need some1 to invent a rocketship so the elite few can escape when this world is no longer liveable because of violence, pollution, lack of animals to eat, flooding because of melting polar caps, & mass insanity.
Space travel and exploration is not a waste of money. If we let go of the scientific fields in America, then we have let go of the last bit of intelectual dignity. As an inspiring meteorologist, and an avid amatuer astronomer, even the thought of getting rid of the space program is sickening. We still have much to learn about the atmosphere, galaxy, and surrounding universe that we can only discover through space travel.
RYC: it’s the thought that counts, thanks Dan
If it wasn’t for space exploration we might not have all the technology we’ve got today…so we wouldn’t even be having this discussion; not to say that computers would have never come to be what they are today, but it might have taken longer.
Not at all; biologically speaking, the harsh conditions found on a planet’s surface are actually far less habitable than a vacuum such as an asteroid field. Additionally, we will, at some point, have to start developing past Earth, so as long as we’ve got Mars, our moon, and both of its moons to settle on and terraform, it seems not only natural, but also economically sound in the long run, to push for development in that direction.
i think that NASA’s just a cover up because 99.9% of dumb americans will believe that all those billions of dollars are actually used for space stuff. I have a feeling some of the billions of dollars go straight to the pockets of _______ & company. You can’t trust NASA. Man never walked on moon. I studied astronomy and any professor of science will tell you the same.
absolutely
Yes. We spend too much on “exploring.” We should use space for sattelites and spying on other countries and practical stuff.
((( GRANDMA HUGS )))
Lori
YES IT IS.
yes.
I would say no if we weren’t …….. what…………. 7 Trillion in debt!?! [give or take]
Its the drive to improve space travel the pushes technology forward… If people hadn’t invested so much money in NASA and the space program way back when we wouldn’t have many of the things we’ve come to depend on…. Life will be possible off this planet…. maybe not within our lifetime but definitely within the grasp of humanity…
Its also important to do as much as possible to explore the universe around us and try to understand it. If people didn’t risk much for the sake of knowledge we would be back in the ages where people thought the world was flat and that the universe revolved around us (which it definitely doesn’t)…. I don’t know what great things will be discovered or what technologies we’ll develop in the future as a result of the space program but I have no doubt that there will be important advancements…
I think the worst thing to think is that its the massive expenditures on NASA that should be redirected to other important needs… No one ever stops to think that maybe there are people who truly do spend money on things that are worthless in everyway… They are the ones who should be held responsible, not the field of science…
16.8 billion is kinda of excessive. But I think we should spend on space exploration, just not that much.
YES…
YEP
somewhat…only because, maybe the stuff that we do find in space might help curve the world into a better place.
naw
no, it is possible that with advances in technology (achieved by those experiments) life on other planets will be possible. We learn much about our own planet and how earth evolved by studying what is around us.
NO
no, i believe humans are inherantly explorers, check any history book. since we have found pretty much all there is to find here its naturally the next frontier
No, I don’t think so. Quite a few of our inventions have come from space.
My favorite line from a favorite author – Kurt Vonnegut Jr.:
“The bounties of space, of infinite outwardness, were three: empty heroics, low comedy, and pointless death.”
That about sums it up for me.
Maybe mining will be economically feasible some day, but I believe that Jesus will come back before we reach that point.
Unless some commercial enterprise sees a way to make money off of it, then it will continue to be a waste of money. Government-funded exploration is too wasteful to ever make enough headway to offset the expenditures.
L,r
> If they can invest monies into saving the lives or fate of this or that, think of the idea of mining asteroids, other planets for resources we cannot currently see or even forsee? One is no more ridiculous than other. We actually have received science and engineering benefits from all the work done to date. If you’re gonna waste the money, there are worse ways than science……
Peace
ANything that presses scientists and engineers to think up new ways, new ideas, to cope with problems they find outside of the Earth can usually be applied to Earth as well. It is a benefit that we spend the money on research, what harm ever came from looking for more knowledge?
No, but then again there are better things the money could be spent on. People first, space later…
well maybe.. or depends. i think that humans will always feel the need to be progressing forward. the budget could be a little less perhaps. i still think that space exploration is important.
oh geez, you keep coming up with the BEST questions!
Kinda freaky, it’s always stuff I find myself musing over during my quiet and somewhat rare intellectual moments…
Anyway – without a doubt, yes! I believe that space exploration is a dreadful waste of money. Makes me sick to think of all the dosh they’re squandering in an attempt to find out if Mars has water or not. Oh please. We shud fix the world before we go trying to find new ones. All that cash could go towards food and water for the generalised “starving African children”… DUH!! Wish they’d get a clue…
I could care less about what’s out beyond the stars. 16.8 billion dollars could be much better spent here ON EARTH.
To some extent, but it is nice knowing what else is out there, and what might be hurling toward us in the form of a big bad ROCK. =)
[ariana]
Possibly. But what is money anyway except a figment of our imagination?? We should be glad he’s taking it out of circulation so inflation does not occur on housing or food or other places the government might spend it. Don’t you agree?
If we wait until all the starving people on earth are fed and all the deficits are fixed, we will be waiting to explore space until Hell freezes over.
That said, I don’t think we should be spending *quite* so much on space exploration.
Space Travel is not a waste of money…If they could find a way to make it more reliable then the sky is the limit on what they can do…i.e.:build a moon base that will allow the colonization of mars
Doesn’t it seem odd to complain about 16.8 billion when we have spent over 200 billion in Iraq? And our military budgets in any given year are several times that? Whatever happened to swords into plowshares?
yesss.
Space travel is indubitably a great waste of money considering this world already has several predicaments of its own including the deteriorating atmosphere, constant struggles with gasoline and the economy, not to mention the impact some of the natural disasters have caused recently over the years. Do you believe that Bush is doing a bad job? Or is the world really tumbling into much turmoil?
I did not intentionally mean to change the subject at hand just so you know
YES!
No.
[i]No[/i]
There are legitimate arguments on both sides. Truthfully, I would rather see the defense budget reallocated before the space program. However, there are more immediate problems than what is happening on mars and europa.
i say forget the space program and make colonies underwater.
No it’s not. Enjoy the computer you’re on? What do you think that technology was derived from?
Hmmm…..GPS, Weather satellites, heart monitors, internet and related wireless technologies. I wouldn’t be typing this if not for high-speed computerization developed at Purdue University for rocket sensors for the Apollo missions.
16.8 billion? Hows about we cut out a couple of Stealth Bombers? Same monies, place it back into Education.
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STOP!!!
Congratulations!!! Your wish will
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Now follow this carefully….it
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Message: This is scary!
The phone will ring right after
In short term, yes, it is the largest waste of money possible to make, but long-term effects could actually benefit humanity in so many ways.
The mission to the Moon and Mars isnt so much a search for life as it is for new land and resources. NASA theorizes that by dumping greenhouse gases into Mar’s weak and thin atmosphere that human conditions will result. Recent investigations from the Mars rovers show that Mars has water surface from the underground every couple ten thousand years… So there has been water at one point. With a stable atmosphere H2O will generate and Earth-like conditions will occur on Mars’s surface, thus cultivating the second planet of humanity.
This IS a process that we wont live to see, however. After scienific theorizing and experimenting NASA specialists predict that this process will complete after a duration of 250 years. A long process, but is it worth it? If you look at the rate of human exponential growth, within our lifetimes we will see a TREMENDOUS increase in the human population. It wont be long until we either need more land or a couple world wars.
I’m all for space exploration. I’m also for well run space programs and the best trained people.
Failing to understand the value, import, and all discoveries made and yet to be made with space travel doesn’t negate such things … and nothing guarantees the latter. I suppose that makes some nervous. No one has a crystal ball.
How many even read up on the space program and the national budget in any earnest manner that involved prolonged thought involving at least several considerations before answering?
Rare is the person who says, “I might not have enough information or the comprehension of scope/scale in the budget or regarding scientific discoveries to answer that question.”
More costly (and complex) is our government that keeps on giving tax breaks to the rich, the rich keep on getting richer, and their circle of friends (including pharaceutical big wigs) gets tighter … while the rest may fight to pay for medicines and so on. They don’t pay that much for medicines elsewhere, for example. Why? The answers, should people really try to understand them, would rile up more people far more than this 17 billion being budgeted — and would put things in very troubling perspective.
Give a little to the space program? Yes. Fix the other problems? Yes.
Since I am an alien, I don’t concern myself with such menial tasks.
“You are to be in the world, but not of the world”
YES!