Why Don't Earthlings Seem To Have Much Faith In NASA?

Question

I have heard many talk bad about NASA, why is that?

Answer 1

I too, hear bad things about NASA, and it makes me sad. I think it's a great organization, but unfortunately, I think there are a number of things working against it-and could easily lead to its demise.
Firstly, I think NASA is largely misunderstood-if not a complete mystery to most Americans. Popular media seldom covers NASA activities anymore (or at least to the degree that they used to) - and many people are unwilling to forgive the organization for past space shuttle accidents, thus tuning out the incredible possibilities NASA has to offer mankind. Even those who support present and future missions are still weary - as if watching and waiting for something to go wrong.
The element of danger becomes more and more pronounced as the general public knows less and less about NASA's activities. Not only is the media covering it less as I mentioned above, but, for the average American, the pace at which the technology develops is quickly reaching the boundary of comprehension. Even the most fundamental elements of many of NASA's programs and the equipment used in these programs are misinterpreted. So whats wrong with that? Well, when people don't understand something, we naturally fear it. And, due to the general lack of knowledge available to us regarding nearly everything relating to NASA, this fear begins to set like poured concrete. Before long, our opinions of NASA become a solid block of uncertainty-after all, how can we be sure of something we know little or nothing about? With enough people with that kind of mentality about NASA, a federally funded organization, it could spell the beginning of the end of the space program.
Then, of course, there is the money involved. One of the benefits of so few people who understand the technology of NASA's activities is that it is precisely that amount who comprehend the tremendous monetary investment that goes into such activities. It isn't often that politicians talk of cutting NASA's budget, which is good for NASA, being that unfavorable public opinion towards a program that absorbs a fairly significant amount of Federal funds probably wouldn't last long. Most of us, however, know that it isn't cheap, but given that we know that we don't have enough to go on to come up with a figure, we simply expect it to be a fairly large sum-yet not enough to see it as a burden. We do, however, want that money to be put to good use. If it takes a lot of time and money to build something, we want it to not only do what it is suppose to do, but actually survive long enough for it to complete its work and for us to collect the results. This is a tall order, and tends to be hit or miss, given the potential for human error in the complex nature of the technology and the gamble we take with the unknown-the still largely mysterious and unpredictable aspects of earth's atmosphere and outer space. Despite this, we still have high expectations for NASA and are extremely critical when something goes wrong. Some of us want answers and want to move forward, some of us want answers that prove NASA's at fault and our suspicions about them were right all along, and some of us don't care about the reasons for why something went wrong, we just see it as other step closer to the end of NASA.
Personally, I want NASA to move forward, so I am interested in hearing their reasoning for times when things went wrong. However, I believe NASA is partially at fault when it comes to what appears to be a shaky public opinion about the agency and their activities. Knowledge is power, and what is unknown is scary as hell. There are a lot of things people either don't know about NASA or are misinformed about-but I don't think it is because they aren't paying attention-but rather, because NASA is not releasing enough information to enough sources to make it accessible and understandable to the general population.

Answer 2

Because NASA seems more concerned about playing politics and throwing money away on their manned program than doing actual science. For the money spent on the shuttle and the space station we could have sent hundreds if not thousands of robotic probes all over the solar system. Some of their cheapest robotic missions have had the greatest scientific return....and their most expensive manned progams have had very little.

Not to say NASA hasn't done great things in the manned program. The shuttle is definitely a cool machine. But really, we went to the moon almost 40 years ago. What have we done since then. Oooo, we are still orbiting the Earth. Impressive...NOT!

Answer 3

Nasa had a purpose in the 60's. Now, they're just hovering in the atmosphere doing nothing significant than scientific research about Earth. If they had ambitions and of course money, we would have colonies in Mars right now.

Answer 4

Part of the reason is that since the cold war is over, people think it accomplished its mission and shold disappear. Also, it has gotten alot of bad press over small things going wrong, when in reality, it is hard to believe that machines with more than 1 million parts don't break down more frequently.

Answer 5

Because it is an agency that needs a lot of money to operate and many people feel that the money is better spent on Earth rather than in space research.

Answer 6

Because they are idiots, NASA is a great adminstration. I have a lot of respect and faith in them.

Answer 7

NASA is incompetent, the CEV is hardly a spacecraft at all.

Answer 8

They are just shortsighted comments ...

Hm, do you think NASA is any good?

Answer 9

becuase their spaceships blew up!

Answer 10

If you're a real Alien, can you please come visit me. I could use a change.