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One of the problems of politics interfering with space exploration is the focus on manned missions to other planets. Yes, I know that this is what the people want and that it is something that the politicians push. It is glamorous, but it wastes time and money.
A manned mission is far more complicated, costs 100 times more (at least), takes longer to plan, and really doesn't provide any more information than sending adaptively intelligent machines to do the same job. But it makes for better TV.
We don't even know how to keep food tasty for a manned mission to Mars, yet we are diverting a huge portion of NASA's budget to that project, and away from more productive (in terms of information gathered) missions.
Since the same luddites in congress that cannot be convinced of global climate change (because it isn't in their Bible) are the ones holding the purse strings, there isn't much that can be done about the problem.
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If ignorance is bliss then why are the ignorant so angry? - Shannon Wheeler
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