Is NASA really necessary?

Question

NASA swallows up like billions of dollars each year. But what is NASA really good for? we do not benefit from its research in outer space.

i just read some of your answers. but tell me, why are they sending rovers to mars and astronauts to the moon? why are they taking pictures of other galaxies? this is waste of money. even if a man lands on Mars or Pluto or somewhere, what happens then?

Answer 1

Do you use non-stick cookware, synthetic lubricants, a computer, many plastics, Pyrex, silicon, epoxy, hi-temp paint, fuel cell automobile, or any of a thousand other products? If so you benefit directly from space. The actual presence in space is only the tip of the iceberg. The spin off products you use every day are the real benefit of the space program.

Without NASA an average citizen couldn't afford to buy the computing power you have on your desktop. If they could swing the purchase, they would need a warehouse to house the million vacuum tubes and other circuity necessary. And if they succeeded in that, they would need several 2000 horsepower generators to produce the electricity necessary to operate it and at least 1500 tons of air conditioning to cool it.

The $100 graphic calculator most college students carry, and take for granted, has so much more computing power than anything used to go to the moon that no practical comparison can be made.

I started maintaining computers when they weighed 100 tons or so, had 60,000 vacuum tubes and took up an entire building. Trust me, without the space program a bank would be the smallest operation capable of owing and operating anything remotely resembling a computer.

You and I are blessed with all these spin offs, thousands and thousands of them.

Answer 2

Necessary is a relative word. And uh, you're awfully ungrateful and ignorant. All that money nasa is using on space travel is making leaps and bounds in terms of technological advancements that benefit everyone. Some of the medical research being done on in space is some of the most important research on the planet ( ;p ). More money won't help the poor anyway. More money won't help schools an ounce. If anything we should be spending more money on space exploration. You want to pay off the damn debt, stop fighting pointless battles. More money was thrown away senselessly in the middle east than nasa has ever spent. You want to help the poor? Moneys not going to do a damn thing. All that money raised for africa won't do a damn thing. The government is the problem. Money isn't going to help the education system an ounce either. There is more money in the system now then there should be. Money isn't he problem. The system is the problem. And at this rate, we're going to destroy this planet. Don't cry then when all that money we could have been using to save our sorry asses wasn't put to use. Instead we used it to destroy the planet.

Answer 3

You proceed from a flawed initial position. You seem to think that NASA sucks up billions of taxpayer dollars without returning much value to those taxpayers besides mose neat pictures. This is too narrow for the truth.

You need to realize that virtually everything in the modern era derived from people solving problems for NASA and the US military. Travelling in space places weight and size limitations on all technology. as a direct result we have lightweight materials, advanced medical techniques and implants. The solutions needed to overcome challenges cause a cascade of spinoff tech that finds its way into our homes. NASA created and launched the sattelites and microwave dishes that make your cellular phone and cable TV possible.

NASA is a big part of the reason we have one of the most advanced cultures on Earth. Civilian applications of NASA patents have made all of our lives different if not better.

If nothing else, we have the ultimate bragging rights having achieved greater scientific advances than any nation in History. In only two hundred years of existence we have increased Mankind's knowledge of the Universe a hundred fold. When I was a child, no one knew the moon was made of. I was nine when Neil Armstrong got the answer.

Who else is willing to spend the money to go take a look at Pluto? Or to find out Neptune is spinning on its side? We all have much to thank NASA for.

Answer 4

Others have given examples of the practical benefits of space travel, but I'll add that we do it because we are intelligent, curious beings. It is in our nature to explore and we are obsessed with uncovering the unknown. We are driven to new frontiers and we're always looking for something we didn't know before. Value is not always determined by the promise of imminent practical rewards.
Expecting a human not to explore is like expecting an eagle not to fly.

Answer 5

dude, you need some serious enlighment!!! Your car that you drive, the job you work at, the clothes you buy, the religion wars you see on CNN, dont mean S!@# to comparison of astronomy research. Its so diverse that our minds couldnt even begin to comprehend what it is, was, or about to become! I cant believe that were so caught up in ourselves with all the useless bullshit that surrounds us that we dont pay more attention to outer space. Its the future for everything that matters.

Forget it, lets spend billions watching guys run back and forth with a ball in their hands.

Answer 6

NASA is a government agency and as such is given to the excesses and inefficiencies that afflict all government agencies. All that aside, they are the best on the planet at what they do and the data from their probes and manned missions have led to an invaluable wealth of knoweledge in regards to the universe and our place in it.

Answer 7

Yes, it is necessary.
In addition to the long list of beneficial products and everyday technologies that are directly derived from space science research, exploration and discovery of the unknown is fundamental to the human spirit. A desire for the progressive understanding of the universe around us is one of the most important qualities of being human.

Answer 8

May be it is 50:50chances it could be nessary and quite the opposite. to say above line i meant to say is that they could be helpful to watch astroids which are big as our Australiya which could harm our earth severarly. or NASA's money should be given to those agencies which promotes pepole for protection of our enviroment which is decomposing or de-grading day by day.

Answer 9

NASA has greatly improved our technology and our quality of life. this article lists some of the technology that NASA has created that benefits mankind:
http://www.thespaceplace.com/nasa/spinoffs.html

Answer 10

NASA is probably the best value in money and resources of all mans endeavors.