Is there a bigger waste of money than space travel?

Question

Why are we wasting money searching Mars. They aren't going to find anything. Shouldn't our government money be spent for better more useful things.

There is a lot of unihabited land here dont worry. If that was the reason, why arent we building underwater cities.

The space program isnt the same as exploring Mars. I like satalytes. I see why they went to the moon to prove that we can make intercontinental missles. But, Mars makes no sense to me.

Oh did you not understand the significance of going to the moon, it showed the Soviets that we have the capability to launch a land based missle through space and hit Asia. I never said the moon was a continent.

yes, lets build a pipeline from mars to the usa, retards

Answer 1

Hi Matt,I agree with you, it is a great waste of time and money,there is nothing out there for us and as we are of the Earth and bonded to it in physical ways we really could never adapt or exist on any other planet as we do on our own home.
Spend the vast sums on ending poverty and creating better employment for example, rather than wasting it on a fool`s errand.

Answer 2

I think the monsy spent on space exploration is vitally important. The current American administration has cut funding to NASA, as well as many other things, to fund George's "War on Terruh". Space exploration is the next frontier in human development. The money spent over the past 50-60 years has given us a much broader understanding of how the universe works which has had ramifications for forms of scientific development. This is something we should be thankful to the US and the former Soviet Union for. There are the usual arguments from the naysayers about it being a waste of money and how rocket engines pollute the atmosphere. We would have to fly over 750,000 missions to the moon in a year to equal the carbon emisions from cars in the US alone. As for a waste of money try tackling government corruption. Also, the United States spent $540 billion on defence (this figure does not include the Nuclear weapons research, maintenance and production costs. They cleverly put this in the energy bill) in 2006 compared with the mere $16 billion on NASA. Also to the point that people have made about using it to help the poor. Successive governments have tried that in the UK. As a result it has created a system where immigrants who have been here a day get free healthcare (my 58 year old mother who has lived, worked and paid taxes here all her life, had to wait for cancer drugs and an operation) and the downright bone-idle can sit in front of the TV 24 hours a day and have that paid for by the government. The UK spends more on social security than it does on defence. It has created a society where, for some, it is finanically more benefical for them not to work and live off benefits. So to answer your question. It is important that we spend money on research and space travel as many of the technological leaps of the past 50 years would simply not have happened.

Answer 3

Yes, the war that never should have happened in Iraq. Two Billion dollars a week and thousands dead... and while we're in the hole already for 400 Billion, GWB wants another 145 Billion on top of what he's already asked for, just for this year. It's all money we don't have. It makes the space program look like a bargin. At least the space program has spin-off technologies that we use in our daily lives. Fortunately our government is going to cut funding back for Medicare, Education, and other pointless social programs to squeeze out some more money for that. We can worry about the national debt (how many Trillions?) another day.

Answer 4

Well, there ARE things that I would rather to see money being spent on than space exploration: for example, campaigns to help eradicate poverty and hunger could use the money.

On the other hand, the space programmes have lead to some useful scientific knowledge. Have you shared your intimate knowledge of what is on Mars with NASA?

Bigger waste of money? The war in Iraq; professional sports salaries; most members of most governments ...



Oh, and, sweetie, the Moon isn't a continent.
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Answer 5

Searching Mars is more than just what you have read in the newspapers and seen on television, there is a point to all the missions than just looking for alien life, which is the fundamental elements for a successful landing there, and eventual colony.

Given the way we are wasting resources now, and going through all the food supplies, our planet is pretty much dead, with lack of livinbg space, so living in space is something we will spend a lot more money on, but it will be beneficial with new resources, new technologies etcetera.

The thing I will grant you, is that NASA and a lot of other space agenies (like the ESA) is wasting a lot of money that can be better spent with actually restarting programmes that let us leave Earth's orbit, not just robotic drones.

Answer 6

Well - the space program has returned $7 to America for every $1 spent -

I think it has been a great investment

firemen have light fire resistant suits
police officers have vests that protect from bullets
we have new plastics and light weight things
and computers - the 70 pound on board computer that helped figure fuel usage and distance to the moon, the same power is in a 4 oz calculator that you can buy at Wal-Mart for $3.

Oh - and it's probably helped you get on the Internet, too.

Answer 7

Well, though still debated somewhat, they do believe that they found micro life in a Mars rock and where there is micro life there is sure to be more.Also, many cures to disease have been found in places that few people venture.Imagine if we found elements that could be used to cure a major illness such as cancer simply by swallowing a pill.Imagine if we found an element that could be converted into a far more powerful fuel source and wouldn't have any environment damaging exhaust or waste.


Now, I agree that we have far more greater needs currently right here on Earth such as hunger, poverty, and developing cleaner fuel sources that would not damage the environment as much or at all and would not leave the world dependent on oil.But a future in sciences that could lead to achievements beyond our wildest dream may be waiting on Mars or one of the moons of Saturn.Our continued survival may even depend on our push to the stars.

Answer 8

Leaving the Earth is the greatest destiny of the human race. We can't stay on the Earth forever, what is more important than scientific exploration and discovery?

Underwater cities? I think you've missed the point. Nobody suggests the cheapest way to find new land is to fly to Mars.

Answer 9

yes i agree, let the Chinese waste their money. they can have mars and all the other planets, moons and asteroids too. it's just a waste of time getting to those hydrocarbons and minerals out there in space. I'm sure that when all of our copper resources run out within the next 30 years, we'll find enough to satisfy our needs in old garbage dumps and land fill sites.

Answer 10

Actually...space travel ends up causing major technological advancements that have commercial applications. Almost every modern technology of the last 30 years was in some was a by product of space travel. From micro-processors on down. I can think of worse things to waste our money on...like...say....a war in Iraq.

Answer 11

War

But we are going to need to know all we can about Mars and the moon because its only place people will have to live soon. We are having more and more kids everyday and with over 6 billion people and counting where are we all going to stand?