This is one of the worst things that Bush could do. Here's why.
Bush's "let's go to mars" plan costs 11 billion dollars. It's sure to grow.
Bush has increased NASA's budget by 1 billion dollars.
How is NASA going to pay the extra 10 billion, you ask?
Well, apparently it has to canabalize itself. In case you didn't know, NASA does more than just run the space shuttles. It gives funding to many astrophysics and areonautics research, as well as conducting lots of research internally. What do you think is going to happen to all that research, when 10 billion dollars has to be cut from the research funding to shift over to Mars funding?
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I personally am very very pleased to see that NASA is getting some funding. This money will go directly into research, construction, and hiring additional scientists. Many of the technologies we take for granted today are the result of our space program, and I can only imagine the advances necessary for getting to Mars. Improved radiation shielding, probably ergonomics and power supplies... Plus, it can help to eventually solve overpopulation and supply the Earth with more raw materials.
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That's just the problem. NASA
already does research. They do a ton of it. Just because it's not flashy, and it doesn't make the six o'clock news doesn't mean it doesn't exist, and isn't important. Because of this whole stupid Mars thing, NASA has to put on hold plans to replace many of our aging space based telescopes (Chandra, for example).
I realize that for many people this will be exciting. But what many people don't realize, is that no one has Increased NASA's budget by any SIGNIFICANT amount. The funding restructuring that has to be done is going to kill off some damn good science.
The Only problem I have with Bush's space policy, is that he talks big, but in the end, it's all just fucking hot air.
Oh, by the way, did anyone notice the NSF budget allotment? Guess what, they decreased it. Brilliant job, congress. Seems like all the talk about technological progress was just that, talk.
EDIT: forgot to add. If they really wanted to go to Mars, all they have to do is triple NASA's budget, and they'll be there in five years. This isn't about science folks. It's not about exploration. It's all a fucking dog-and-pony show. No one in congress understands what science is. They spend hundreds of billions on the fucking millitary, and expect NASA to go to Mars with a fucking 1 billion dollar budget increase. God Damn, what a bunch of fucking no good assholes.
Sorry. Had to rant a bit.