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As much as I agree that NASA's budget should be considerably larger than what it has been over the last 20, 30 years, do you really expect the current administration (Bush and Co.) to listen to public outcry, given their dismal track record in not doing so? They want war. Not science.

Personally, I have more hope right now in the private sector endeavors related to space exploration, even if they are vestigal at the moment. As much as I hate to say it, if the current pace holds, I wouldn't be surprised if NASA crumbles into obsolescence within the next twenty years sad

I wouldn't say it's the people who are uninterested. Most of the people I know love learning things about astronomy, even those who aren't big space buffs. The problem is that governments and the corporations that control them aren't interested in space because it's not profitable. Unless you count the bogglingly illogical, incompetent, wasteful, dangerous, and poisonous Star Wars programs evil

If it becomes economically feasible to mine the moon within our lifetimes, I think we'll see a major jump in a very short time for space sciences and such. Right now, space tourism (go up for a few minutes and then come back down) is about all we have *sigh*

Yeh, but it was the same way with cars when they first became available. Only the richest people could afford them, and it wasn't until they started to be mass produced that they became affordable. Same with televisions and computers.

Easy enough. Just consider the technological gadgetry we could produce if we were working in a weightless environment. Nevermind the experimentation we could engage in to discover new methods of data storage and transmission, or energy production, or new materials. Simply being able to work in space on a large scale has massive potential.


In a way, from a political perspective, it would very likely put an end to a lot of the global domination insanity, if anyone who felt like it could get into orbit with a handful of choice weapons and wipe out massive areas of land or huge amounts of machinery.

From a safety perspective, though, it's not such a great idea, given current standards. We would need extremely stringent construction guidelines for pretty much everything just to prevent an excessive buildup of debris. Space programs are so limited right now even after over fifty years of development, that it isn't that much of a problem, but it's better to start working on safety regulations now instead of when it is a major problem.

Shortly after Space Ship One won the X Prize a few years ago, actually, the government started working on laws (or something to that effect) to serve as a spring board for exactly that. I don't know if any of it was actually passed or anything, since it was a pretty minor blip on the media's radar, but it's at least a start.

Thinking about all the earth based industries that have benefited from space exploration - medicine, materials science, and computers, just to name a few - it's hard to believe that people don't believe space exploration is profitable. Having the goal leads to the new technologies that must be developed to achieve them. By dumping the space program, it seems like there's a chance that the US could fall technologically behind the other countries that are developing their own. Of course... it all might go commercial, but to me that would be sad. I hope the ideals associated with space and astronomy can remain.

With China on the rise the possibility that a increase in funding is possible and to renew interest in space to the public is gaining favor. Just it takes time.