Thoughts on space funding

Do you think guys we're spending too much on space exploration funds? If so, why?

Not enough? Why?

 

Space exploration has always intrigued me, the universe is vast and to much of it has been unexplored in my opinion. It's a constant mystery as to what is actually out there and of course curiosity is always in the nature of humans, so I don't see why we anything spent on it would be to much and of course anything contributed to science wouldn't be to little. What about you, what's your thoughts OP?

 

Yeah I'm the same as you man. Always intrigued by space and the unknown out there. Some just argue that we have priorities on earth (poverty, starving) etc while we're spending billions in hopes of finding something out there.

I do believe space exploration is important though. It could mean breakthroughs in science that we could use back on earth to better our people as well as answering fundamental questions of the universe

 

One of my hobbies is space since it has always intrigued me. I believe we're not spending enough because exploration and discovery are things mankind should always try to fund in order to better the human race.

I've personally always been interested in interstellar travel, however, the problem with it is we can't travel anywhere near the speed of light yet. I'm crossing my fingers that we find a way to travel near that speed in my life time, even though I know it's not probable.

 

I 100% agree. I highly doubt in our life time we'll be able to space travel at that magnitude, but one can hope right!?

 

I am fascinated by astronomy and astrophysics and i would probably be the happiest person if more of the budget went into space funding.

Wouldn't it be great if NASA ended up with those juicy 600 billion the U.S. spends on the military?

To put it into perspective the entire Apollo program cost only 136 billion and it lasted around 11 years. This led to one of the greatest scientific achievements in history.

There's so much you can do with an annual budget of 600b. New space stations, asteroid mining operations, more missions into the Jovian system, you name it.
Hell we could be a few decades away of discovering extraterrestrial life beneath the icy layers of Europa.

I read somewhere that with a budget so big colonizing mars would be possible in as little as 10 years.

Again this is all hypothetical, but it would be great to also see more funding on SpaceX.

 

born too late to explore the earth too early to explore space. feels bad

 

It truly does feel bad. I get depressed thinking about how I'll pass away before humans can travel to other galaxies. However, there's also the possibility that mankind destroys itself before being able to reach that level of technology which is one of the foundations of Fermi's Paradox.

 

Reading these always get me daydreaming man. The possibility is endless with the right funding but too bad that seems less likely.. I really feel like all that you said is completely possible.

Anyone know the stance of the new administration in space funding?

 

The feels. I always imagined us being able to watch the future after we pass as some sort of entity just for this specific reason, lol.

 

The new administration has actually increased funding to NASA at the cost of climate change research.

 

Space exploration is difficult to secure funding for (mainly from GOP politicians) because it's immediate effects aren't noticeable. Payback isn't immediate, it happens later with technological innovation secured through space funding.

However, there's arguments to be made that direct technological funding would better achieve that goal. Depends on how strongly you think we should be exploring the outside world. To be honest it doesn't exactly *directly* benefit us.

 

I think we should focus on bigger issues such as world hunger and poverty...we look for life in outer space yet we neglect the life on our planet.

 

Could you further explain on what you mean when you say it wouldn't directly benefit us.

 

Care to actually name a single way it has benefited us directly. It's a money pit tbh, there's no return.

 

Space funding doesn't directly give us any benefits, it indirectly does with technology developed.

 

We could build a rocket, shove the CEO's of private corporations that rule the planet ( not even secretly anymore) WHICH YOU DID NOT VOTE FOR . (CFR,IMF, ETC And with the spare change feed clothe and shelter everybody in the world that needs it .

 

Would be nice to know that there's another planet with life.