A message to the NASA Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee:
As a child I was fascinated by the space program. I wanted to become an astronaut and took all the math and science classes that I could in preparation to becoming an astronaut; I even started flying lessons at 13.
Unfortunately my future was taken away from me as launches were cut and almost everyone (except me apparently) seemed to lose interest in the promise of space. Oh sure, there was Star Trek but, for me, it only made the longing worse.
It’s too late for me, but not for the youth of today. There are so many reasons why we need to, no MUST, go back to space (and not just earth orbit) – survival of the human species is one big one (big rocks DO fall from the sky).
We need a truly functional space station, bases on the Moon, humans on Mars, and we need to be exploring the asteroid belt for the valuable resources it holds. We need to be planning a colony on Ganymede or Callisto, exploring the life that most likely exists on Europa. We need to be researching how to get beyond our solar system and out to the stars.
Just like man explored the surface of this planet and made great voyages over land and sea, it is time for us to begin our next big exploration. Our future depends upon it.
So, that's my letter. Follow the link at the top of this post if you would like to express your opinion directly to NASA. You can also attend one of the meetings in person. Here's the info I got from The Planetary Society:
"Next week, the committee is holding three meetings where the public is invited to propose their ideas and to make comments. The meetings are scheduled for three U.S. areas where the space program contributes mightily to the local economies:"
HOUSTON, TEXAS
Tuesday, July 28, 2009, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
South Shore Harbour Resort & Conference Center, Crystal Ballroom Salon A & B, 2500 South Shore Blvd., League City, TX 77573, 800-442-5005.
HUNTSVILLE, ALABAMA
Wednesday, July 29, 2009, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
The Davidson Center for Space Exploration, The U.S. Space & Rocket Center, One Tranquility Base, Huntsville, AL 35805, 256-837- 3400.
CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA
Thursday, July 30, 2009, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront, Grand Ballroom, 1550 North Atlantic Avenue, Cocoa Beach, Florida 32931, 321-799-0003.
Showing posts with label NASA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NASA. Show all posts
Friday, July 24, 2009
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Space Exploration is Important
I’m mad, not as in crazy but rather angry, upset, and quite disappointed. An elderly gentleman that I respect greatly for his wisdom and knowledge said that he felt all the money that the government spent on the space program was an absolute waste. He feels that “all that money could have been put to better use solving problems here in our country”.
This is not the first time I’ve heard someone say this. I know that many people feel this way. However, have any of them actually taken the time to look in to the issue? How much money does NASA get every year? What is that money used for? How much money does the Federal Government put to other programs? How much money have we spent on our latest “war”?
OK, let’s tackle these questions:
Has anybody really checked out the facts? In my opinion, no. If they had, they would see how little goes to NASA, how much the space program benefits EVERYONE, how much useful technology we’ve gotten as a spin-off, and how much more money the Federal Government manages to waste (ever heard of ‘pork-barrel’ spending?) in other areas.
How much money does NASA get every year? Not much, especially compared with the overall budget. Wikipedia has a very interesting article on this. NASA has received an average of $12.681 billion dollars (adjusted for inflation) per year over its forty-nine year history. That’s barely a drop in the budgetary bucket. For comparison, lets look at what the Federal budget spent on other things in 2007:
What does NASA spend ‘all that money’ on? Well, among other things, NASA has procurements, grants, and awards that go to businesses, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations throughout all 50 United States. Millions of dollars are spread throughout the country. Check out this map showing the disbursements. As for all their space exploration programs, research centers, aeronautical programs, etc., you should check out this site by NASA.
I’ve already addressed the issue of how much money the Federal Government puts to other programs, so let’s look at our “war” spending. Much of the money for the war does not come out of the annual Federal budget, instead it is done as ‘Supplemental Funding’. For example, in FY 2006 $153 billion in Supplemental Funding was added to the base budget of which the War on Terror received $120 billion and a massive $33 billion went to events such as Hurricane Katrina. My source for this information is here. Total estimates for our “War on Terror” go as high as $2.4 trillion. TRILLION. Check out this CNN Money article and be sure to follow their link in the middle of the article.
Right now this lovely little planet is our only home. The environment is not in the best shape right now and many feel the future is only going to deteriorate. Personally, I’d like to see humanity expand beyond Earth. Our future, if we have one, is in space. Check out these folks.
Scotty, where are you when I need you?
This is not the first time I’ve heard someone say this. I know that many people feel this way. However, have any of them actually taken the time to look in to the issue? How much money does NASA get every year? What is that money used for? How much money does the Federal Government put to other programs? How much money have we spent on our latest “war”?
OK, let’s tackle these questions:
Has anybody really checked out the facts? In my opinion, no. If they had, they would see how little goes to NASA, how much the space program benefits EVERYONE, how much useful technology we’ve gotten as a spin-off, and how much more money the Federal Government manages to waste (ever heard of ‘pork-barrel’ spending?) in other areas.
How much money does NASA get every year? Not much, especially compared with the overall budget. Wikipedia has a very interesting article on this. NASA has received an average of $12.681 billion dollars (adjusted for inflation) per year over its forty-nine year history. That’s barely a drop in the budgetary bucket. For comparison, lets look at what the Federal budget spent on other things in 2007:
- $586.1 billion for Social Security
- $548.8 billion for Defense (not including the “war”)
- $394.5 billion for Medicare
- $367 billion for Unemployment and Welfare
- $76.9 billion for Veterans’ benefits
- $33.1 billion for natural resources and the environment
- $26.8 billion for community and regional development
What does NASA spend ‘all that money’ on? Well, among other things, NASA has procurements, grants, and awards that go to businesses, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations throughout all 50 United States. Millions of dollars are spread throughout the country. Check out this map showing the disbursements. As for all their space exploration programs, research centers, aeronautical programs, etc., you should check out this site by NASA.
I’ve already addressed the issue of how much money the Federal Government puts to other programs, so let’s look at our “war” spending. Much of the money for the war does not come out of the annual Federal budget, instead it is done as ‘Supplemental Funding’. For example, in FY 2006 $153 billion in Supplemental Funding was added to the base budget of which the War on Terror received $120 billion and a massive $33 billion went to events such as Hurricane Katrina. My source for this information is here. Total estimates for our “War on Terror” go as high as $2.4 trillion. TRILLION. Check out this CNN Money article and be sure to follow their link in the middle of the article.
Right now this lovely little planet is our only home. The environment is not in the best shape right now and many feel the future is only going to deteriorate. Personally, I’d like to see humanity expand beyond Earth. Our future, if we have one, is in space. Check out these folks.
Scotty, where are you when I need you?
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