Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
20 Billion? A year? Is that all? We spend about 20 Billion an hour in Iraq. What do we spend in Afghanistan? What percent of Shuttle missions are military? 80%. Will shutting down NASA result in Universal Healthcare or better Higher Education? No! Nothing would change. Money is not the reason we don't have these things. Well money is the reason but not because NASA gets a trifiling 20B to play with. We must get some of that offshore loot back from the robber barons that stole it and spend it on worthwhile projects or we are done by the end of this generation. Ignore the worlds infrastructure and ignore the possibility of using orbit or the moon to manufacture hazardous but neccessary items and we are done by the end of this generation.
When it comes to the future of mankind, then the government should be paying for it.
The benefits of space travel are boundless, but its not an immediate return on investment. Thats all corporations seem to be worried about now, immediate return on investment.
It is not just limited to space travel, long term vision, goals, and projects are something other people do now. In the United States, long term planning means planning past the next fiscal quarter, whereas for many, long term means planning in terms of decades and even generations.
This is a huge issue in America today, everyone wants everything and they want it right now. We as a nation are Veruca Salt personified.
For some, the future of America would look more like Planet of the Apes, and others, Star Trek. Sadly for most, the future of America is no further away than the next commercial break during a football game.
They go up there to sleep, eat freeze dried food, and go to the bathroom. It's a waste of money.
They want to go up there to establish a base on the moon. This is the first step in the human races first steps in our long term evolution.
We have to expand, we are at our best when we are growing.
As far as "sleeping, eating, and going to the bathroom". Do you enjoy your cellular phone? Do you enjoy the internet? Do you enjoy accurate weather updates?
Those are just some of the things brought to you by those space shuttle flights.
In my everyday life, I am not concerned with Mars. It's more corporations ripping this country off, the lack of universal health care, poverty, the educational system, our corrupt Congress (except for a few good souls), the fact that I can't marry my girlfriend, the unemployment rate, etc.
Are you old enough to remember what a phone call to europe cost before space travel?
It's those early trips to space that made if all possible for the average American to be able to afford those calls.
Space travel has brought us more than we understand..
It has nothing to do with you not being able to marry your girlfriend..
I live about 10 mile from NASA Houston and it provides a lot of jobs for Americans...
"corporations ripping off this country" <<<< they (contractors for NASA) employ 10,000's of Americans...
There is NO money to be made in space exploration. Private companies already have the ability to compete for participation in space by creating products, devices, etc. that Nasa uses to further space exploration and defense of our nation via satellites etc. The government didn't make the products that are used in space, but gave those companies a reason and purpose to create those products in order to make the money needed.
But, you can't make money on space exploration by itself. THere is a lot to be learned from space exploration, but no money to be made. Private companies are already profiting on creating rockets, etc.
There are some companies that do exist (owned be eccentric billionares) working on creating crafts that take people up to space for commercial space flights (my brother briefly worked for one, but felt that it was created as a tax shelter and was a sham.. no surprise) so he quit to work for companies that actually created things that are used in space by Nasa.. and these companies were corporations with either shareholders or were just privately owned.
An example is Gruman and I can't think of the other one that currently has a contract with Nasa (I believe it starts with a B.. just can't remember what it is).
How much do we spend on foreign aid? On pork spending ( Of which NASA gets a good chunk)?
NASA has in fact delivered many improvements to our everyday lives. They do serve a valid purpose. If nothing else as long as we keep the edge it prevents other Nations from holding us hostage from space.
We have pretty much given away our edge in so many areas. From the Auto industry through the computer industry. It was not so many years ago that we were the undisputed leaders in aircraft design and construction. Aerbus enjoys massive government support compared to what Boeing receives. Boeing is struggling just to maintain what it has. I would hate to see forfeit yet another industry.
You're probably right. In theory it would be nice to save $20B. But for the aerospace industry to stay competitive, they need government backing. It's probably the only reason those jobs haven't left the country. Which is scary.
Foreign aid and our military empire should be reduced first. Why in the heck do we need 700 military bases world wide? Where is the $2 trillion the military couldn't account for back in 2001?
There is NO money to be made in space exploration. Private companies already have the ability to compete for participation in space by creating products, devices, etc. that Nasa uses to further space exploration and defense of our nation via satellites etc. The government didn't make the products that are used in space, but gave those companies a reason and purpose to create those products in order to make the money needed.
But, you can't make money on space exploration by itself. THere is a lot to be learned from space exploration, but no money to be made. Private companies are already profiting on creating rockets, etc.
There are some companies that do exist (owned be eccentric billionares) working on creating crafts that take people up to space for commercial space flights (my brother briefly worked for one, but felt that it was created as a tax shelter and was a sham.. no surprise) so he quit to work for companies that actually created things that are used in space by Nasa.. and these companies were corporations with either shareholders or were just privately owned.
An example is Gruman and I can't think of the other one that currently has a contract with Nasa (I believe it starts with a B.. just can't remember what it is).
How would this explain all the patents NASA owns and sells(or licenses) every year? There is plenty of technology that NASA researches themselves and then licenses to to other people, after using it for space application. I'm sure some of it(maybe even most of it or all of it, I'm not sure of the specifics) are actually invented by contractors, but NASA still owns those patents and they sell them, so they do make money off of space exploration.
NASAsolutions: Benefits of the Space Program (http://techtran.msfc.nasa.gov/at_home.html - broken link)
Here is a list of technologies gained from space travel so far.
Also, we only spend about 1% of our budget on the space program. Compared to around 40% in defense.
Perhaps we should just realocate? For instance, what is our defense program going to do for us, if a planet killing asteroid was weeks away from hitting the Earth? Nothing, thats right.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
