Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveOrion
I also have an interest in space exploration but after considerable thought I've concluded that it might be best to take care of this planet first, then push towards the stars. First the overwhelming cost of space exploration is indeed a burden we shouldnt have to carry. Secondly is the extreme dangers involved in space flight which technology hasnt overcome. Thirdly, we simply are not ready, putting a man on the moon is one thing but colonizing or even mining the moon is an astronomical (no pun intended) effort which the first two reasons cover.
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I would like to address this because statements like this make my blood boil. The amount we spend on space exploration is minuscule compared to the amount is spent on "solving" the problems here on earth and with much more tangible results.
Here is the proposed 2012 NASA budget.
http://www.nasa.gov/pdf/516674main_F...s_Overview.pdf
For comparison here is the proposed 2012 Social Security Administration Budget
http://www.ssa.gov/budget/2012BudgetOverview.pdf
I am not doing this to debate the merits of Social Security but merely to make a comparison as to how much Social Security spends on Administrative Expenses to the entire NASA budget for scientific research, operating space shuttle and space station, and aviation research.
Social Security is requesting a little over $12.5 Billion for Administrative Expenses. Page 5 of their budget outlines what they define as administrative expenses. Many of the things they are requesting money for are things NASA too has to deal with such as aging computer systems, on going needs to find efficiencies in business processes, rising infrastructure costs, and loss of experience as people retire. To compare, NASA is requesting around $3.5 Billion for what they call Cross-Agency Support and Construction, Environmental Compliance, and Restoration. Now think about the types of facilities NASA has to build and maintain, launch pads, fuel tanks, cryogenic tanks, wind tunnels, vacuum test chambers, medical facilities. As opposed to Social Security which is....office buildings.
Now compare that to the budget totals of operating both Space Shuttle and Space Station programs, R&D for human and robotic space missions, and performing scientific research in space and on earth NASA is requesting around $15 billion.
So for just a little over what Social Security is requiring to maintain their facilities and essentially file paperwork NASA is putting shit in space and keeping in there.
Oh by the way...they ENTIRE NASA budget request for 2012....a whopping $18.7 billion which is about 0.5% of the entire federal budget.
So Dave Orion...I'm pretty sure we are spending more than enough to "solve" problems here on earth such as "fixing" Social Security.