Should the Government Fund NASA?

On June 30, 1908, the Tunguska Asteroid struck an isolated area in Siberia. The asteroid was 164 feet in diameter, and caused tragic devastation to the forest that it hit. People 37 miles away from where the asteroid touched down were knocked off their feet. If this asteroid were to hit a populated region of Siberia, thousands of people would have been killed. Asteroids have the ability to cause significant damage; it is believed by some that an asteroid wiped out all the dinosaurs, in the Pre-historic Era. However, thanks to NASA, today there is nothing to worry about because of the satellites it has launched. NASA already does so much with the little money the government provides, if congress decides to continue funding for the company, its possibilities are endless.
The government gives NASA $16 billion every year. That is only 7% of the federal government’s budget, which is $2.8 trillion. To put it in perspective, for every $2800 of federal government budget, $16 goes to NASA. With more funding, NASA could launch more telescopes, explore other galaxies, and pinpoint exactly where an asteroid will strike. Citizens of the United States of America believe that a huge percent of their taxes go to NASA. The truth is, only one percent of taxes go to scientific research, and half of that goes to NASA. For someone earning $100,000 a year, $1000 goes to scientific research, with half of that going to NASA, only $500. The benefits of continuing to fund NASA, far outweight the costs. Michael Massimino, one of NASA’s astronauts says it best, “you have bills to pay, but you always want to put something away for your kids college fund. NASA is like a college fund, we are the future” (Massimino 1).
NASA not only does space research, b...

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... are not ready to do so. These companies need to work with NASA to begin the knowledge transfer and get the ball rolling. Also, unlike NASA, these private companies explore space primarily for financial gain, not to learn and improve the lives of mankind. NASA explores for information to be shared, to be taught in schools, and to uncover the mysteries of space.
Eliminating federal funding for NASA is short sighted and risky. The benefits derived from NASA’s work over the last five decades have been tremendous. Future generations will continue to benefit from the many discoveries led by NASA and their space research. The risks of reducing funding for NASA and to cease its existance are great, as it is unknown what the next discovery will be and its impact on the USA and the world. The true potential of space research can only realized by continuing to fund NASA.