Opinion of our space program and funding.

[Bay Ridge, Bklyn! Born and Bred]

For simplicity's sake, if you're an Independent/Libertarian that leans to the right, vote as a Repub.   If you're an independent with liberal tendencies, vote as a Dem.

For me personally, funding for space exploration and research is of utmost importance and is easily one of my top issues.

Thoughts?

[Tetro Kornbluth]

As a doomed and silly Romantic Adolescent who reads Science Fiction (Yeah, I know, Nerd, you post on a site dedicated to microscopic results of US politics. Go away) I must say I quite approve of the space program.

However I can be quite mixed on NASA.

[minionofmidas]

Moderate priority.

That is to say, getting rid of most of this waste of taxpayer money / marginally disguised corporate subsidy is a moderately high priority of mine.

[dead0man]

Until private enterprise takes the baton from them, they should be moderately funded.

[Albus Dumbledore]

High funding for science/tech related ventures obviously.

[7,052,770]

Democrat/high.

[Boris]

Very high. We only have 6,000,000,000 years until the sun begins its expansion phase and probably a much shorter time until Earth's population exceeds its resources. Time to look to the stars and find those aliens who will give us the solutions to all our problems (or come to Earth and destroy all our landmarks)!

[Verily]

Low priority. I'm a really dreamy person about this sort of thing, but it's a hopeless waste of money.

[Flying Dog]

Higher. NASA, when compared to other Government programs and ventures, is seriously underfunded. Especially taking into consideration with the ambitious goals that President Bush laid down for it in the Vision for Space Exploration policy.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Very low priority.  Right now, there's not a single thing the manned space program is doing that is worth the money spent on it.  Those things that are worthwhile could be achieved for the same or lesser cost by unmanned satellites.  Let the space tourists pay for the R&D for manned flight until such time as we are willing to consider establishing a self-sustaining colony on Mars. 

[Хahar 🤔]

Very low priority.  Right now, there's not a single thing the manned space program is doing that is worth the money spent on it.  Those things that are worthwhile could be achieved for the same or lesser cost by unmanned satellites.  Let the space tourists pay for the R&D for manned flight until such time as we are willing to consider establishing a self-sustaining colony on Mars. 

He didn't say manned spaceflight, just NASA in general.

[MasterJedi]

Moderate priority. Space exploration is important but so are other things that need to be dealt with now.

[Aizen]

We should be colonizing other planets.

[Jake]

Low priority. I'm a really dreamy person about this sort of thing, but it's a hopeless waste of money.

Right. There's no tangible benefit worth the billions being sunk into NASA, whereas funding health care, education, etc. actually do have tangible benefits.

[7,052,770]

Low, low, low priority.  It is a horrible money pit that has not given any real benefit in decades and will continue to be useless for decades to come.

rubber soled shoes for one...they've discovered a lot of things indirectly from the space program.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Very low priority.  Right now, there's not a single thing the manned space program is doing that is worth the money spent on it.  Those things that are worthwhile could be achieved for the same or lesser cost by unmanned satellites.  Let the space tourists pay for the R&D for manned flight until such time as we are willing to consider establishing a self-sustaining colony on Mars. 

He didn't say manned spaceflight, just NASA in general.

Manned spaceflight takes up the majority of NASA's budget, and that's just the parts it is willing to identify directly as part of the ISS boondoggle.  There is only one shuttle mission on the drawing board that is worth doing, the Hubble resupply and upgrade mission, and Orion is a total waste of money that is causing what little real space science that NASA does to be delayed or canceled.

[exopolitician]

More money please.

[Bay Ridge, Bklyn! Born and Bred]

High funding for science/tech related ventures obviously.

...and along with space-related technology, equal amount of federal funding for building high-energy particle accelarators and other particle physics-related research.    Space exploration--both in the outer and inner realms--should be mankind's top priority.   All other issues are trivial, when you think about it.

[Albus Dumbledore]

It'd be a better thing to spend money on than social security or medicare/medicaid. Means test SS and abolish medicare/medicaid(replace with a form of non-socialized UHC involving compulsory insurance like several European nations have). Also, put the money for the military-industrial complex into it and stop playing into the delusions of both parties that we're a hegemon as opposed to merely being the strongest nation.

[JSojourner]

Low priority. I'm a really dreamy person about this sort of thing, but it's a hopeless waste of money.

Same here, Verily.  I'm with former Indiana Congressman Tim Roemer -- who voted to scrap the International Space Station on the grounds that it was a complete waste of money.

Those who disagree do make some compelling points.  Medical research in space supposedly has tremendous potential (though I not sure why it would).  I still think I would rather see the money transferred to cancer, AIDS and Alzheimer's research here on earth.  Is weightlessness that important to the scientific process?  What is it about experiments in space?  I ask out of ignorance, not scoffing.

[opebo]

Moderate - well below social programs, but above the military.

[Хahar 🤔]

It'd be a better thing to spend money on than social security or medicare/medicaid. Means test SS and abolish medicare/medicaid(replace with a form of non-socialized UHC involving compulsory insurance like several European nations have). Also, put the money for the military-industrial complex into it and stop playing into the delusions of both parties that we're a hegemon as opposed to merely being the strongest nation.

Right. Because space is so much more important than we are.

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I think NASA needs to go away completely....with the exception of mission relating to orbital satellites for weather, communication, etc..

I don't give a phuck if there is water on Mars or if there was life there.

CUT MY GASOLINE PRICES with the savings.

[Frodo]

High funding for science/tech related ventures obviously.

...and along with space-related technology, equal amount of federal funding for building high-energy particle accelarators and other particle physics-related research.    Space exploration--both in the outer and inner realms--should be mankind's top priority.   All other issues are trivial, when you think about it.

^^^^^^^^^^^

And I would also add terraforming planets suitable for human colonization.

[Albus Dumbledore]

High funding for science/tech related ventures obviously.

...and along with space-related technology, equal amount of federal funding for building high-energy particle accelarators and other particle physics-related research.    Space exploration--both in the outer and inner realms--should be mankind's top priority.   All other issues are trivial, when you think about it.

^^^^^^^^^^^

And I would also add terraforming planets suitable for human colonization.

Sounds good to me too!