Bush to Increase NASA Budget by 5 Percent

Foxnews ^ | January 14, 2004

[Reader of news]

WASHINGTON

[blam]

It should be done.

[Dead Dog]

Anyone know when the speach is scheduled for?

[boris]

But won't.

[BCrago66]

The policy here is to use the original headline, then add your own comments below - or if you feel the need, in parenthesis next to the headline.

[Frank_Discussion]

2PM Eastern!

[WhiteGuy]

What is your opinion about the new space program of President Bush?


Huge waste of OUR money

[Crazieman]

It should be done.

This CANNOT be a waste. Anyone who says so is not thinking long term at all. The benefits that came from the Apollo programs were enormous. Nothing pushes the bounds of science and technology more than human space exploration.

[Gerasimov]

The Chinese will beat us to the next leap forward in weapon technology if we don't move.

Never mind the technological leaps and bounds we will be taking in the next fifty years because of the renewed space program ... and what that'll do for the economy and quality of life in the US

see http://www.thespaceplace.com/nasa/spinoffs.html

[conserv13]

And if the band you're in starts playing different tunes
I'll see you on the dark side of the moon.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

It should be a world venture with China, Russia, Japan, Europe, India and the US participating.

No project could do more to bring the world together!

I'd like to see a tripling of the robotic exploration of our solar system first.

[Trampled by Lambs]

I'm all for it. Yes, I know, there's plenty of things that need money thrown at them right here on good ol' planet earth..

But somebody's got to be the ones driving the human race forward.. upward. Someone's got to be that shining light of achievement. Maybe there's nothing worth while on Mars but a bunch of dirt and rocks but we have to start somewhere. Space is the only physical frontier left to us -we must persue it.

Don't break the bank getting there but get there we must.

Besides, do we really want China to beat us to it and potentially have missiles aimed at us from the moon?

Ok, yes, I grew up reading science fiction and I imagine that influences me quite a bit.. But I truly believe this.

Our Moon missions were the marvel of the modern age and a crowning moment in our history as a country. I was never more proud to be an American. I want to feel that way again.

[buffyt]

Going to the moon or Mars, those things don't impress me... but... the space program in general does. We wouldn't have many of the modern advances without NASA technology. They are, after all, rocket scientists!!!!!! We have so many medical and technical scientific inventions and discoveries thanks to the space program. But as for Mars, Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee (Democrat - Houston) thinks our astronauts were already there and she wanted to know if the flag they left is still there......

[buffyt]

GREAT POINTS about going to the moon BEFORE China!!!!!!

[BOBTHENAILER]

It should be a world venture with China, Russia, Japan, Europe, India and the US participating.

Disagree, the military advantage of having a station on the moon is so huge as to be a necessity.

[Killborn]

If an American astronaut landed on Mars as a direct result of the Dubya Space Program, I'd love to see how the media will spin it.

"Astronaut intruder upset native Martians."

[CPOSharky]

The moon, with its gravity just one-sixth of the Earth's, might also be used as a jumping off point for voyages beyond Earth's orbit, such as to Mars or to asteroids.

Just why would anyone want to power out of the Earth's gravity well just to go into and back out of the moon's gravity well before going somewhere else?

Unless there is something on the moon needed for the mssion it doesn't make much sense.

IMHO. it seems that a large space station to support extended space flight would be better opition.

A radically new type of propulsion would come in handy about now.

[Admin Moderator]

Please use original titles. Thanks

[ClearCase_guy]

Actually, I was thinking today that (long-term) colonization of the solar system will probably be won by the group with the largest population. The resources are up there. No shortage. The only thing lacking is the folks to do the work. Could be robots. Or it could be immigrants.

If China reversed its policy and ordered every family to have 4 children, they could export 3 of the children to space and keep one. Their Earthly population would decline and create a happy, pastoral society (much like the way they envision Old China). Meanwhile, space colonies would pay for themselves, expand at a fantastic rate, and send some profits back to China itself.

I think we need to start before they do. Because if they follow that model, their base population of 1 billion people STARTS them at the least 2 or 3 generations ahead of us. Think about it.

[69ConvertibleFirebird]

It should be a world venture with China, Russia, Japan, Europe, India and the US participating.

Take a look at the International Space Station for an example of this. Way over budget. Other countries refusing to put in what they are supposed to put in. The U.S. picking up the tab for the vast majority of it. It would have been MUCH cheaper, and better for us technology wise, if we did it ourselves.