Questions for debate:

1. Is space exploration getting enough funding?

2. Is it getting enough publicity?

3. Is human exploration of Mars a reasonable target for the next few decades?

4. Is space exploration even that important?

1- Yes

2- No

3- Yes

4- Yes, very much so

no

no

yes

yes

 

 

 

but private enterprises will soon surpass government funded ones in terms of exploration.

yes

yes

no

no

 

There is no reason the government should be using tax dollars on farting around up in space...they should only use NASA for satelites and telescopes.

 

If someone wants to go play around on Mars, use your own money. There are too many problems going on on Earth...and too many complaints about not having enough money here, or there, or the deficit being bad, or whatever.

i take it we are assuming government funding here?

1. Yes, they're getting enough funding.

2. Yes, they're getting enough publicity. Too much of is bad publicity though but it's not undeserved.

3. Not with NASA running the show. I doubt we could get back to the moon, let alone Mars.

4. Yes.

 

I was watching Apollo 13 last night. Back in 1970, NASA engineers were able to bring home that spacecraft using things like socks and duct tape. Now NASA is too bureaucratic to check on the condition of the shuttle when the wing gets hit with flying debris. They didn't even give the engineers a chance get the crew home.

 

The engineers are as good as ever and technology is much better than in 1970 but NASA is no longer competent to manage it. I'm all for government funding of space exploration but I think it's time to disband NASA and start over. It'll set us back 20 years but the space program will be stronger in the long run.