[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Was Columbus a fool? Are entrepreneurs? How do we know that Mars can't offer us solutions to problems we haven't been able to answer?

[RightWhale]

The President is coming on live right about now to announce the new space plan. Does naybody care?

[JohnGalt]

Because NASA employees don't think they can secure funding and get jobs in the dreaded private sector?

[Trampled by Lambs]

The recent success of the space rover landing on Mars should not obscure the fact that two out of every three Mars missions ends in failure

Let that be a lesson to you. If something is difficult and you don't succeed right away, give up.

[MineralMan]

"Was Columbus a fool? Are entrepreneurs? How do we know that Mars can't offer us solutions to problems we haven't been able to answer?"

Here's an idea: If exploring space is such a great idea, let's leave it to private enterprise to do it. Then, they can profit from all the terrific discovery's to be made out there.

As for me, I'd like to explore the possibility of keeping a little more of my money. Maybe I'll invest it in a private space-going company.

[Izzy Dunne]

If you have REAL player, squeeze rodent here

[TheDon]

The author confuses two separate issues. What is the point of space exploration in general, or in particular, and should gov't be engaged in that activity.

[smith288]

The little flaw in Bush's dream is that there isn't a half-trillion dollars lying around for a few jaunts to other worlds.

This person needs to do research on the funding of this... Currently, he sounds like a ninny. Exceptionally so right now since the announcement hasnt been made so details that cover cost and the sort are unknown to the author. What an idiot.

[Muleteam1]

>>What is the purpose of sending people to the moon<<

I can think of many good reasons to send the Democratic Party to the moon, but I can't think of any good reason to spend more than $1.98 on the spaceship we would use to get them there.

Muleteam1

[hopespringseternal]

Many people feel the same way, but they would never ask taxpayers to come up with $500 billion to pay for these dreams.

Some people would consider using a fifteen year old estimate for an entirely different plan downright dishonest.

[Flightdeck]

"full-employment agency for scientists who might otherwise have to get real jobs. "

Is this guy effing kidding me? He or she (it?) obviously has no clue what the job of a NASA scientist is like. Look at your own job, buddy, (which you suck at by the way). They didn't bust there asses going to college for ten years to mow lawns.

Then the selective "evidence" listed as failures. Whoah, what happened to the successful rover mission going on right now? That line must have been edited out. This article is trash, and the person who wrote it is another example of a know-less-than-nothing "critic" who expects people who do know what's up not to call him on it. Next time, write about something you're familiar with. Here's a topic: "How to deal with getting rejected by publishers."

[snarkpup]

No agency in the history of the world has been more efficient at throwing away money than NASA.

I don't think one would have to look too long and hard to find less efficient agencies. In fact, of the zillions of agencies within the federal government, NASA and the defense department are the only two that stand out as organizations that, while perhaps inefficient, at least produce things I want (purty pictures from space and killing bad guys, respectively).

Or put another way, how do you numerically measure the "efficiency" of the 3/4 of the federal government that is counterproductive?

[r9etb]

Was Columbus a fool? Are entrepreneurs?

No, and no. But the author of this little screed may yet prove the existence of fools.

[robertpaulsen]

"No agency in the history of the world has been more efficient at throwing away money than NASA."

Oh, I don't know. Lyndon Johnson's War on Poverty managed to burn through around 5 TRILLION dollars, and we didn't even get Teflon out of that program.

[Soulfull]

We need to go to Mars to check up on our roots.

[roadcat]

NASA didn't throw away all that money on their own. In many cases they were held hostage by politicians and the military. Most of their aims and goals are noble, but go awry when politicians interfere. For example, they originally drew up plans for a small nimble space shuttle capable of reaching a distant outer orbit. Designed by engineers and scientists for themselves. Then outsiders interfered, and we ended up with a large expensive shuttle that can't break out of a low inner orbit. We could have had hundreds of space shuttles in our fleet by now, traveling to an inexpensive space station parked midway between the Earth and Moon. All at a fraction of what was spent for our existing small fleet. So don't arbitrarily blame the dreamers and scientists at NASA.

We're going to get some competition from the Chinese and Japanese in a race back to the Moon. And they've probably learned from our mistakes not to do it the same as us. And they'll reap the benefits from the technological benefits that trickle down to everyday consumer items. (Teflon, velcro, computers, energy converters, medical goods, etc., the list is lengthy.)

[Truth666]

Go NASA Go

for that water in Mars !

[tet68]

No agency in the history of the world has been more efficient at throwing away money than NASA.

If the first line is a lie, what must the rest be?