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I dont know about everyone else but I am a huge space nut. If I could afford it I would take a week at ISS for 20 million. The test flight of the Ares 1-X was postponed for a day today. Ironically, Obama's expert panel has recommended canceling the program and turning to commercial launch services to get astronauts up because of lack of funding. Right now that means the Russians, you know, those great allies of ours.It would only take an additional 3 billion a year on top of NASA's current budget of 17 billion to speed up the program but that is too much money. At the same time Obama can blithely talk about running an additional deficit of almost 1 TRILLION dollars a year for ::) health care reform ::). There is something wrong with this picture. I would bet that small cuts in spending somewhere would easily free up three billion for space technology but our elected representatives are not willing to do that. This despite the fact that every dollar spent on has realized something like a 150% return on its investment in economic activity in spin-offs not to mention health benefits from imaging technology leveraged by NASA. I sometimes have to ask myself where our priorities really are, making america better or more dependent? I know what I think, what about you guys?
I was always on the fence about NASA spending. Yeah, it's cool we can go to the moon and stuff, but what purpose is that for? It's not like we're going to colonize it or anything (well, maybe after the 185 degree heat and 30 foot sea level rise we will have to ::) )I'd rather see the 3 billion or more spent on missile defense
I think the traditional rationale is that technology is indirectly developed by way of NASA's research. I heard a figure of something like 35,000 inventions (this figure was from a while back), though I believe this figure may have been criticized as well. But even if we set aside that number, I think that things like cell phone technology is an indirect result of what NASA does. As a matter of national security, I do not want to see the Chinese or others develop space technology more than us, or get much more heavily involved in space exploration than we are.
One point about space spending, and it is decisive for me. Whichever country gets there first is going to reap a financial windfall from resource extraction. The oil and mineral wealth problems of the US will go away. I am about 1/2 convinced a commercial firm will get there ahead of the government. In fact, I have invested money in a few and there are a few companies I would invest in except they are private. There is more money to be made in soace tourism and resource extraction than can be imagined. The country that gets there first will have an enormous advantage by being able to set the terms of the debate. I want that country to be the US. Lastly, whoever controls earth orbit owns the ultimate high ground and owning the high ground will enhance American security.
