NASA vs Dept of Defense

Quick response.....

A strong argument could made for both sides, with a huge gray area.

With nuclear weapons being developed or purchased by small but dangerous countries, and China being to able to direct so many resources into defense.........

I need to respond using my computer.

 

Here's my take. The exploration of space ( a place 100% hostile to humans, and all things have to be artificially generated ) is a complete waist of our taxes. NASA should be under military control and all funding going to the DoD. Where a budget can be organized and disseminated according to world climate and policies. NASA has nothing to offer, the " space race" is all privatized, NASA dropped out over 20 yrs ago with the failure of the space shuttle. When the DoD is funded the research and science benefits the U.S. and eventually the world. Laser technology comes to mind.

 

Given the costs, being able to see the benefits of space exploration decades, probably more like centuries, from now isn't easy. I think a successful space program will require a global effort from many nations, at least the major players. For example, can anyone see the USA, Russia, & China joining forces for the good of humankind?

 

I will again, respectfully disagree with @rogue49. You are a science guy. Science involving pharmaceuticals, engineering, mapping, history, and so on, are needed. And I say fund them. However science to leave Earth is romantic not realistic. Let them that want to say " I did this" because somehow it inflates their already saturated egos, go do it on their own dime. Men build things for themselves. So don't use my tax dollars in the effort. I believe we entered the spacerace behind the USSR, and it was Mr. Kennedy that drew the public in. I also believe that the billionaires in the 60's would have still privately funded the venture. It was sold to us on a fear based scenario. And by Gawd we here in the U.S. HAD TO BE FIRST TO THE MOON. What did we get for our investment? Moon rocks and dead astronauts, technology that we use in war efforts to support our military. Just put all the budgeted dollars into the DOD.
And @Chris Noyb, today on world news it appears to me that Russia, China, the U.S. and almost every other major nation are all wanting to strangle each other. Further Russia's economy is a 10th of ours. They are no longer a financial power. They are just little that carry a big nuclear stick.

 

If we're talking only about the R&D component of both NASA and DoD, both have resulted in significant technology transfer to commercial applications and consumer products.

Duct tape, instant coffee, microwave ovens, teflon, prosthetics, the internet, GPS, and silly putty! Lots more.

From the DoD perspective, any research outside of how to kill more effectively and efficiently often leads to other positive advancements with broad applications. From NASA's perspective, any R&D that expands and advances scientific inquiry is a positive in my mind.

The R&D components of the respective budgets are relatively small. It is the rest of the DoD spending (and waste and fraud) that can and should be reallocated to areas of far greater national need. We dont need a DoD budget that is greater than the total of the next 5-6 countries combined spending on defense.

 

You misunderstood my post, I'm for supporting the Space Program. Getting taxpayers to see the long term benefits is a major problem. Getting politicians to openly support such an extremely expensive program with few short term tangible benefits is a major problem. If our politicians are our representatives (yeah, right), they are for a change actually doing what the people want, generally speaking, by not pushing for the $pending to advance the $pace Program.

Give taxpayers the following options and see which they choose (this isn't how I see things, but I can understand why many folks feel this way):

Tell taxpayers you're going to spend trillions of dollars on a Space Program that MIGHT, POSSIBLY benefit their great, great, great, great grandchildren.

Tell taxpayers you're going spend trillions of dollars on Defense Programs that will greatly reduce the possibility of them getting nuked, will mean fewer ground troops put in harms way, etc. Yes, the benefits might be exaggerated, but people want to believe the unbelievable when it benefits them.

 

Okay @snowy you agree with me. The benefit is expounded into society. Let's just remember that the earth, IS IN SPACE, protected by our atmosphere, and that same makes our lives possible. IMHO all other exploration is diminished, the earth is the opus of our galaxy. Manufacturing in space is the answer. Mankind has the technology to build engines and crafts that can press past our galaxy and into our universe. However the life span would take generations unknown. And the small amount of ore that may be harvested will not pay for the extended cost in dollars and lives. NASA attempts to draw us in, water on this planet or conditions on another, so we will commit our taxes. That water is not life giving water. Or plant life would be evident. All things in space are on earth and earth is the only flowering blossom.