Does anyone else feel that the money wasted on the space program.....?
370721
Well I feel so the way U feel.Its a wastage of time,money and also the fuel(which is already very less).\nBut,there is no alternative. Earth is over-crowded and we have to find living conditions on other Planets.So,Its important.
994993
I woke up to a news report on the radio about how NASA had lost contact with their shuttle, and there had been reports of falling and burning debris. I was sad.\nHonestly... We should be surprised that things don't go wrong more often. Launching into space is a delicate and dangerous venture. There are far more people who are killed each year by toothpicks than die for the purpose of space exploration. This is something we should be proud of.
759096
Hey!\n\n\nI'm sorry but i think that we drowned in our stupid wars instead of pouring the money wasted in it in the science field.\n\nalso some of the governments hold their money instead of investing it in some science projects.\n\nThat was my opinion, and thanks for the question btw at least i knew that there's some ppl who care
798997
It's true that the money could have been spent on trying to resolve any of the numerous problems in the world, but from a philosophical POV, science needs to have its boundaries pushed to create new and useful developments.\n\nIf you read the novel "Earth" by David Brynn (Brinn?) it speculates on the artificial creation of black holes. I'm no quantum physicist, but it makes a plausible argument that these artificial black holes need to be constantly fed with matter, otherwise they 'die'. More importantly, that the energy produced by these entities is so vast it would pretty much solve the global energy crisis.\n\nFrom a more balanced angle though, these scare stories put out by newspapers usually have very little basis in fact, and are usually written by journalists with little or no proper scientific background or knowledge of their subject matter.\n\nI strongly recommend you read the 'Bad Science' setion of the Guardian. Look through the newspapers site or the columnist has a dedicated site (i think www.badscience.net or something like that). It's amazing how much of the stuff we're told in the name of 'science' is actually complete guff!
173254
i work for the govt and i am a financial manager for NASA research. we get most of our funds from congressional adds and private researchers. the rest of it is from different institutions needing to know the information for a current or future program.\n\nthanks,\n\nryan\n\nair force research labs.
930404
Yes, he walked on the moon. Why would the gvt have spent all that money to pull off one big hoax? Money they didn't actually have in those days. Its not like today where a billion dollars is a drop in the bucket.\n\nI feel bad for Neil Armstrong. He walked on the moon and now some asshats are trying to say he didn't. It must feel terrible to have people doubt him.
892479
It is absolutely worth the cost.  \n\n1.  The advances made in science by space exploration affect our everyday lives.  Things from velcro to GPS has some aspect of space exploraiton involved.  What is developed for use in space finds its way into our lives on Earth in many wonderful ways.\n\n2.  Exploring the unknown in and of itself is worth it--we must expand our minds, our knowlege, our understanding of the universe.  \n\n3.  Only by learning and knowing the world/universe in which we live can we fully fathom our own part in it.\n\n4.  We need to dream.  We have dreamt of exploring the stars for millennia.  It is in our nature to reach out to the stars.\n\nOf course it is worth it.  And it deserves to be funded with much, much more money than it currently is.
109852
No, I don't think it's a waste of money.  Imagine one day, whole colonies living and working on the moon and on Mars!  I think we need something to dream about.
839458
No. I want the government to spend less in other areas in order to pay for these projects. Too much money is spent on meaningless pork. Too much money is wasted in fraud, waste and abuse. The government needs to do what most families have to do, namely tighten its belt and live within its budget.
651858
It's really too bad, but we probably passed up the chance.  Werner Von Braun had an idea that called for the third stage of the Saturn V rocket to be lowered to the surface of the Moon and buried under the regolith.  The first astronauts to land on the Moon would spend about six months there setting up house.  Then the next set of Apollo astronauts would come with another section and the first set of astronauts would go home.  From that point forward, we would always have a manned presence on the Moon.\n\nThe problem was that we weren't ready in 1969.  The Apollo 12 mission in December of '69 was supposed to be the first to land on the Moon, but NASA thought we were ready early and moved the landing up to Apollo 11.  The Moon Lab project wouldn't be ready until 1972.  And Kennedy had said we would go to the Moon "before this decade was out."  If he had been alive, he probably could have given us permission to do the Moon landing right, but he was dead, and we couldn't walk away from what he wanted for us.\n\nAnyway, I highly recommend Ben Bova's wonderful book Welcome to Moonbase as a source for what living on the Moon would be like.  Heinlein's The Menace from Earth and The Moon is a Harsh Mistress are also excellent.
294827
The US states spends all that money on the space program, then when a disaster hits within the nation, there is "no money" to help the people.  Something is wrong with that picture.
719477
I would have to say yes. As an avid amateur astronomer the search for knowledge is always a good thing. After all, the Hubble still has a few good years left in it, but they won't upgrade it (I think it's a mirror, that was made specifically for it, and it's still sitting on earth because NASA wants to scrap the Hubble). Mind you, I could be wrong about NASA's decision, since I heard it was going to change and they would be upgrading after all. As for us willing to spend the money, sure. After all, our tax dollars are being wasted elsewhere. I honestly believe the individual should decide where the majority of their own tax dollars are spent.
125071
NASA was started in the '50's to get the USA in the 'Space Race' - the Soviet Union (USA's arch-nemisis at the time) had launchest THE FIRST satellite ever. The USA felt embarrased and needed to show them up. \n\nNASA and the 'money wasted' is responsible for quite a few modern conveniences, from CAT scans to industrial processes and materials, to cordless power tools, etc.\n\nIt is money well spent!
1080899
NASACAR CUP IS a waste of gas, in my opinion.
245745
From the very beginning of the {Bush Ad min} I have been watching the Environmental Protection Agencies & what they have to say about the Bush Administrations waste. The E.P.A. never says anything when asked how & when, & what is the Bush Admin going to do w/all of the {Fossil Fuels} that he wants to waste in no time flat. It would auctually Cost the American Tax Payer a whole lot more money to build & Pay off the Alaskan Citizens w/incentives from those {Revenues form all that Oil}At the same time the Carribue Herd in Alaska would be re-routed from their original (Ancient Paths that have been around before Mankind can fix a date on.Changeing the Carribue & the Natural habis of getiing around is to cruel of an act that will only be around for a short while. The Republican Party has been a cold & calculative bunch that see;s no end th their lack of vision for our very planet, & it's atmosphere.
63217
My personal opinion is much less optimistic. My feeling is that manned space flight has already peaked. It is too expensive. The economic benefits are there, energy, mining and the like, but only if there is a sufficient infrastructure already in orbit.\n\nIn my opinion it is making that infrastructure during the time before space is economically useable - which is certainly the case now - is the critical time.\n\nIt would be very easy (unfortunatetly) for the US to let manned space travel go on a haitus...and then a a vacation...and then forget about it. The US nows owes a tremendous amount of money (and we know whoses fault that is).\n\nAs for other countries I am not optimistic that, say, China will leap to the forefront. They will encounter the same problem. Human space travel is very expensive, dangerous, and there is a lot left to learn.\n\nSo I am afraid that the hurdle needed, the jump from where we our now to something even moderately self-sufficient in space, may be too high.\n\nThose who watched the moon landings (as I did as a kid) may have seen the farthest extent of humans in space.\n\nI hope I am wrong, but I just don't see a great future for humans in space.
306250
No way!\nunless you have money to waste...but that could always be spent on better things...like helping people who are less fortunate.