Why's so much money spent on space research while Earth's billions live in poverty & die from hunger & strife?

Question

Do the merits of space research far outweigh the demerits? Has anyone made this analysis, and if so, has it been made public? Or are these space studies just carried out merely to prove theories, which at the end of the day do not make much or any sense to the layman, who happens to be in the majority and is interested in the having just the basic necessities of life?

I know that there is the fear of asteroids and comets hitting the Earth - these happen regularly already, only on a small scale - and causing either total annihilation of mankind and or devastation of the environment, but the chances of this happening on an incredible scale needs to be proven beyond seasonable doubt to justify the spend in this area.

Answer 1

Actually for the larger industrialized nations space research and exploration is a relatively small fraction of their overall national budgets, and space research, if used wisely, can help reduce, if not cure, some problems by monitoring crops for diseases or drought, help track weather, animal and fish populations, enivironmental problems, and provide new technologies and materials that can improve healthcare and life in general, and of course there is the knowledge gained about the Universe in which we live. I do agree that there is a great deal of money wasted in the space program (I think the Space Shuttle and International Space Station are make-work money pits that should be closed off), but I think the more germain question is why so many trillions of dollars worldwide are spent on weapons, corporate greed, and subsidizing the lifestyles of the already wealthy. Cutting even just one major weapons purchase program in practically every country around the globe could give each child of those nations a free college education.

I think an argument also has to be made for the simple human need to know and understand what space is and what's in it. Questions like "Where did the Moon come from and what is is made of?" would never have been answered if we hadn't gone there. Sending robotic missions to Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and other planets in our solar system give us some hint of what those worlds really are like and fire our imaginations, and sending telescopes, such as the Hubble, up into space have given us a clearer, and often very beautiful picture of what the Cosmos is made up of and how it got here. Theories aren't worth much unless there is data to back them up, and these sorts of instruments help us gather data in ways that human eyes or ground-based equipment never could, and while it's true most of us go through life occupied by the more mundane pursuits of life, but all of us at some time have wondered what this Universe is all about and what our place is in it, and I think the questions being asked here bear that out. Exploring space helps answer some of those questions.

It isn't legitimate space programs (ie., non-militarized) that are starving the poor; it's the insatiable, contemptible greed of death merchants like Lockheed-Martin and greedhead corporations like Halliburton and Bechtel who want to enslave us that do...

N.

Answer 2

If we were to take all the money spent on the space program and used it to house and feed people, in the end, we'd still have starving poor people.

The thought that money spent on the space program would be better spent on feeding people overlooks the positive impacts the space program has had on Earth and humans as a whole, but overlooks the fact that the vast majority of starvation on this planet is not due to an actual lack of money or food but to environmental and human created situations such as war, political conflict, disease spread largely by irresponsability, poor planning, drought, and other natueral disasters compounded by lack of perpardedness.

The space program, on the other hand, has given us the means to monitor out planet from the sky, which has given us the power to predict the weather like never before, and has allowed us to monitor, and asses damage from natural and manmade distasters alike and to better help us prevent them. That aside, research originally funded under the space program has contributed to mainstream technology and lead to advances in the medical field which has saved numerous lives.

People who say the Space Program is a waste of taxpayer money are people who have obviously never actually looked into the matter and think it's nothing more than people spending billions of dollars to floar around the Earth a few times and look at pretty stars.

Answer 3

NASA's budget is less than 1 cent for each dollar you pay in taxes. There are so many things that have been discovered from space research and that tiny amount that it has payed back more than 1000 fold to the starving and poor of the earth. Many free resources are located in space, we can use solar power from space to feed and provide power, limitless power, to everyone. Anyone who feels that money into space research doesn't understand that the money is spent here on earth to better humankind.

If you want to prove that an asteroid can hurt or annihilate the earth, try it.

Answer 4

I agree with you, that starvation, and suffering should take priority prior to exploration, although many of the space research technology's are advancing our planet, there is much wasted research which could, and should be put to better use in serving humanity.

Although I will also say this, and that is that scientist's are not in a hurry to solve the problems of society of today, and bring about the understanding of knowledge in totality, because once they do then they will be minus a job as science will no longer serve a purpose, and if there is one thing which they are good at it is math, and they know this simple fact.

Since complex confusion then keeps us upon a slow pace to understanding knowledge in totality there jobs are insured and the billions upon billions will flow.

It is kind of like asking An Oil Company to build us an electric automobile, it would not serve purpose to there livelihood as with out gasoline automobile's, they would all be out of work.

Answer 5

Besideds the obvious end of the world from outer space scinerious, space research does benifit us.

For one thing, thing made for space often find uses in the "real" world, and where would we be without communications sattilites? we wouldn't have them if we never researched how to get into space.

Exploring other planets ( a long term goal obviously) could aslo lead to deeper insights about how the solar system started, and perhaps tell us something baout earth itself.

as space technology increases, we may finnaly gain the ability to colonize into space. As time goes on, we will eventualy become to big to all populate this planet and colonization will be required.

and finnaly back to the matter of falling rocks from the sky. Do you expect the technology to stop a inbound asteroid to just spring from thin air? no, it takes much research.

A better question to ask is why do we all spend so much money developing new ways to kill each other? if all people abolished their militaries, and used the money for good...the world would be a much much better place.

Answer 6

There is always benifit in scientific researh, we just can't always se it in the start. If we measured the worth of scientific data by the practical benifit it gave us there would have been no progress made. Ever. And that includes many things that have ultimatly benefited mankind.
There is indeed alot of suffering in the world, but the reason money is not diverted to solveing this is becuase, well, people don't want to part from their money to help others. Doing away with space exploration won't change that.

Answer 7

The merits always out weigh the demerits. Space exploration has created unforeseen inventions and advancements. Also these billions of poor and hungry to not live in the countries that have huge space programs. And if we gave more money and funding to feeding the worlds hungry it would not necessarily help them in the long run. Also the funding for the space programs are distributed by the government and the people can just petition the government and make direct the funding to other programs.

Answer 8

Good question, at one time it was about technological development during the coldwar. During the 90s there was perhaps more humantarian reasons. Here is one resource I found that trys to answer this question:
http://www.space.com/news/commentary_top10_030912.html

The European Space Agency has a page describing how their research helps in humantarian ways
http://www.esa.int/esaCP/Improving.html

Those are just some quick thoughts

Answer 9

exactly did u know if every millionaire and billionaire were to 10% of one year of income they could solve the worlds poverty over night.
space research is a total waste of money who gives a a crap what is on other planets look after this one .

Answer 10

It's a total waste of money.