Slashing the Budget Over the past few years, NASA has been the victim of larger and larger budget cuts. The United States government thinks that money that should be being used for funding NASA is more useful elsewhere. This is a real shame, space travel is the future. One day we will run out of resources,or become over crowded on Earth, and mankind will have to expand to the stars for another place to live. Space travel is our future and needs exploration. NASA should be more highly funded by the United States government, in order to continue research towards future objectives. “NASA’s budget continues to be reduced from almost $18.5 billion in 2011 to $17.8 billion in 2012” (McBrien). With NASA expecting more budget cuts in the future, something …show more content…
Headed by former NASA ‘Mars Czarr’ Orlando Figueroa, it will put together a framework for funding and planning smaller Mars missions beginning as early as 2018” (Reardon). NASA is fighting for this program and desperately wants to be funded. According to NASA this Mars mission is a top priority for them, and it shows by how hard they are trying to at least start the mission during this decade. Budget cuts also threaten to push future exploration missions further away. One mission that is important is a mission to Jupiter 's moon Europa, which scientists believes hold an internal ocean that can harbor life. “In a fraught fiscal climate, NASA should focus on what it does best and on what offers the best return on investment. Solar system exploration meets both criteria: the U.S. has long led the interplanetary charge, and the resulting scientific benefits have come at a relative bargain. This year NASA 's planetary science program cost about $1.5 billion -- less than what NASA spent designing a congressionally mandated rocket, the Space Launch System, which appears more likely to satisfy aerospace contractors than to aid the cause of space exploration. Such directives from lawmakers all too often land in NASA 's lap without the funds to carry them out (To The
NASA Funding The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was booming in the late 1960s because the U.S. invested over 4.5 percent of the Federal Budget (Bolden). Unfortunately, in the recent years, the Government has slashed funding for many of NASA’s projects in an attempt to cut back on the deficit and boost the economy. Despite the plummet in NASA's budget, the program has proved that it's prominence in the U.S., space programs like NASA continue to face difficulty in increasing its funds. Although, NASA leads evidently, the government doesn’t think NASA is worth more than 0.47 percent of the federal budget.
Political pressure: Due to the limited funding and political pressure, NASA had to make many
Bill Nye, the “Science Guy,” asserts, “NASA is an engine of innovation and inspiration as well as the world's premier space exploration agency, and we are well served by politicians working to keep it that way, instead of turning it into a mere jobs program, or worse, cutting its budget.” The United States of America’s government is currently in an economic debt encompassing billions of US dollars. Unfortunately, the government has attempted to balance finances by cutting the funding for most programs, including NASA, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA, in over half a century, has brought the most economic, technological, and social benefits than any other program held here in the USA, as well as any other extraterrestrial program in the world. The last thing this nation needs is the cutting of NASA finances. NASA should be receiving more funding because the Earth will not last forever and humans will need a place to live, there’s a curiosity within humans about the vast universe they live in, there is evidence to suggest life on other planets, the USA’s superpower status will be improved, and the economical income NASA brings is more efficient than any other governmental or educational program.
In 2013 spending on NASA will be at the lowest point in the last four years because the United States government is in extreme debt. Many feel that this will lead to a halt on all space exploration and technological advancements in the world of Astronomy. In my opinion I feel that this lack of funding for NASA will thoroughly hinder progress for future generations as well as our own.
These are the reasons why I believe there should be more investment in space research and technology. It would be a time consuming and financially draining quest, but the pay off in new technology, applications, resources, and expansion opportunities make it a goal to strive for. As our rate of consumption of Earth’s natural resources continues to increase, it is imperative that we invest in the research of outer space as a possible solution to sustaining the human race.
The National Academies Press (2012) NASA’s Strategic Direction and Need for a National Consensus retrieved from http//www.npa.edu/openbook.php?record_id=18248&
When talking about the current space program, Neil Degrasse Tyson once said, “I got angry with America, because advancing is not just something you do incrementally. You need innovation as well, so that your advances are revolutionary, not merely evolutionary” (Tyson 3). America used to have the top space program in the world. Being first to the moon excited the country and gave everyone a sense of pride and fulfillment. Lately, though, we have been falling behind in space exploration. A successful space program is needed in America, and here’s why: we are losing our grip on the title as the world superpower and a new age of economics and politics is coming faster than we are prepared for. To be prepared for this new age we need the funds,
Although it might answer many questions, space exploration comes at a high price. Based on data from the video “5 Ways Space Travel Affects the Human Body”, the NASA budget in 2007 was $16.3 billion. Some valid points were made in the article “The Space Race is a Pointless Waste of Money” by Jerry DeGroot. He stated “...seems like lunacy when terrestrial frontiers such as disease, starvation and drought cry out for cash.” We must solve these problems before we start to explore for fun.
According to Space.com the Federal Government approved a budget of $16.6 billion for NASA in 2014. Approximately 1/3 of that will be spent on space exploration.
The United States government should not continue to fund manned space flight missions to Mars because, NASA doesn’t have the advanced technology needed to get humans there without a guarantee safe return trip and lack of fuel. Since NASA doesn’t have the proper necessities such as fuel to send humans to the Red Planet with a safe trip home, then the United States government should not continue to fund manned space flight missions. I hope to learn about the mission to Mars and why funding for the Journey may not be the best solution. The fund for this spaceflight comes from researchers and scientist that are looking to send humans by 2030 to Mars. NASA believes Mars is a rich destination to start looking for potential life forms considering
A budget has been passed in the Congress; however, that budget has not touched the floor of the Senate (Foran). As of 2004, President George Bush had an ambitious plan for NASA. The shuttle was supposed to phase out and then five years later, phase into a new space called Ares system which would be fully functional and operational. Back in 2010, NASA planned on establishing a permanent human presence on the moon and possibly Mars later on (McBrien). All of those plans NASA put down because of their financial situation. Also, the United States government needs to recognize NASA for helping the economy. As NASA first started off, it created plenty of new inventions that the scientists saw something that could help the economy from the inventions such as Tempur-Pedic mattress company. Tempur-Pedic mattress was invented for astronauts to have comfortable cushioning in their seats. The company went on to become a private and successful business (McBrien). Since NASA’s budget lessened, it has not been able to create as many inventions that could be private successful companies like Tempur-Pedic. Also, NASA purchased their materials from other businesses (McBrien). It does not just build everything the scientists need. NASA has so much potential for the United States’ economy by investing in other businesses and creating new jobs for the people that the government needs to invest more money in
Human fascination with the stars is as ancient as Babylonians and has been suggested to be older than Stonehenge. From “be fruitful and multiply” to “live long and prosper,” the instinct to protect and propagate the species has manifested in religion, art, and the imaginations of countless individuals. As human understanding of space treks out of the fantastical and into the scientific, the realities of traveling through and living in space are becoming clearer. Exploring, investigating, and living in space pose an expansive series of problems. However, the solutions to the problems faced by mankind's desire to reach beyond the horizon, through the night sky, and into the stars are solutions that will help in all areas of life on Earth.
The main argument against space travel is that the money used could be better put on other matters. This is, in fact, very untrue. Looking at NASA’s 2015 budget of $17.5 billion, it may seem like a lot, until you realize that the US military budget for 2014 was $581 billion (5). Furthermore, it was estimated that each dollar in NASA’s budget was equivalent to 8 – 10 dollars of economic benefit (6). If an organization can bring about economic value at 10 folds the original budget, it would be logical to continue funding it, if not increasing the funds.
Most people think that the costly downside to funding space exploration is a reason to avoid spending money on sciences and instead spend it on problems here on earth, but such funding for space exploration actually promotes economical as well as scientific benefits. Space exploration is an important expenditure for the high cost because of the potential for numerous benefits such as the possibility to find useful resources to cultivate, space exploration and satellites produce many thousands of jobs in our economy, and it creates and discovers newer and better technologies through research and development.
“Sheltered as we are by Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field, which deflect lethal radiation from space, we are like coddled children who have never ventured into a tough neighborhood” (Folger 2). Humans have been fascinated with space since the beginning of our time. Just like children and rough neighborhoods, we have tackled obstacle over obstacle to make it home again. In the end, we have a better knowledge and strength than before. The future of space exploration can assist us in answering the everlasting question of how the universe came to be. The more we explore the infinite galaxies, the more we can scientifically discover and create new technologies as science advances. As we continue to discover, we can create new fields and occupations for aspiring young students like myself.