how do you feel about space exploration?

[foweler]

The people who have been lucky enough to see the Earth from orbit have all reported a feeling come over them as they see how finite it is, and without borders.

 

[TheOLDNewChick]

Honestly, I have my serious, serious doubts that man will ever inhabit a planet besides Earth. I don't think we were meant to live anywhere else. I also don't believe the human race will go on forever. At some point, everything comes to an end. Whether it's a quick process, or goes on slowly over time, it's almost inevitable.

The people that were living thousands of years ago never would've dreamed that man would someday walk on a planet not our own. We've advanced so far from what we were years ago. That being said, I don't think it's a necessary waste of time or government funding. I'd rather the government be spending money on something useful that some stupid idea some yoo-hoo in a high seat came up with.

I don't think it should go unexplored. I don't think that mankind should hold off on learning about things not of "us", so to speak, if we have the ability to explore and expand our knowledge of our surroundings. I also think that we should focus on our oceans, and see if they can't help us out any.

We've got the means, we've got the intelligence. I say we put it to work, but with the right mindset.

 

[chrissum]

whatever you think, dont call Buzz Aldrin a coward!

 

[muell112]

Oohh good question. I think right now space exploration should be put on the back burner. At the time, Neil and Buzz were what this country needed. Today, though, I think our resources could be better spent and conserved by focusing on, for example, making our energy usage more efficient, restoring our fisheries, fixing our roads/bridges etc. It seems like an awful lot of money to spend for the potential pay off which is...??? By the time we figure out how to mine an asteroid we could have put that money into recycling the materials we already have here on earth. Also makes me concerned that we'll focus on space as "a safety net" rather than being good stewards here at home.

 

[Tuffoldhen]

Oh to have Carl Sagan still alive and speak to you all.

 

[foweler]

Billions and billions of stars. We are made of star stuff!

 

[PurpleChicken]

Maybe everyone should take a look at the national budget and see how
little is actually spent on NASA. From my perspective it looks like a great
investment.



The President's budget for 2009 totals $3.1 trillion. Percentages in parentheses indicate percentage change compared to 2008. This budget request is broken down by the following expenditures:
Mandatory spending: $1.89 trillion (+6.2%)
$644 billion - Social Security
$408 billion - Medicare
$224 billion - Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
$360 billion - Unemployment/Welfare/Other mandatory spending
$260 billion - Interest on National Debt
Discretionary spending: $1.21 trillion (+4.9%)
$515.4 billion - United States Department of Defense
$145.2 billion(2008*) - Global War on Terror
$70.4 billion - United States Department of Health and Human Services
$59.2 billion - United States Department of Education
$44.8 billion - United States Department of Veterans Affairs
$38.5 billion - United States Department of Housing and Urban Development
$38.3 billion - State and Other International Programs
$37.6 billion - United States Department of Homeland Security
$25.0 billion - United States Department of Energy
$20.8 billion - United States Department of Agriculture
$20.3 billion - United States Department of Justice
$17.6 billion - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
$12.5 billion - United States Department of the Treasury
$11.5 billion - United States Department of Transportation
$10.6 billion - United States Department of the Interior
$10.5 billion - United States Department of Labor
$8.4 billion - Social Security Administration
$7.1 billion - United States Environmental Protection Agency
$6.9 billion - National Science Foundation
$6.3 billion - Judicial branch (United States federal courts)
$4.7 billion - Legislative branch (United States Congress)
$4.7 billion - United States Army Corps of Engineers
$0.4 billion - Executive Office of the President
$0.7 billion - Small Business Administration
$7.2 billion - Other agencies
$39.0 billion(2008*) - Other Off-budget Discretionary Spending

 

[RoostersCrow]

Quote:
?Of course you do realize that biology isn't "rocket science"?...

It's much more complicated than that!

The benefits of "space exploration" don't come from what we learn about space. They come from what it can teach us about ourselves.

 

[maplesky7]

e.t. phone hoooooooooooome

 

[tackyrama]

Quote:
It just goes to show you that space exploration does not mean a great evolutionary leap forward for all humans!