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Today's Poll: What should the future be for the U.S. space program?

By Howard B. Owens
Gabor Deutsch

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Jul 21, 2011, 12:30pm Permalink
Jeremiah Pedro

Its nice to know that there are 115 people that have their head in the sand. If we as a country do not prepare for the future be it good or bad then we'll only have ourselves to blame when we are held hostage or exploited by those who do control space.

Jul 21, 2011, 2:05pm Permalink
Chris Charvella

I found myself in the middle of this argument yesterday on another website. I'll just copy and paste:

The snail’s pace of NASA developments and breakthroughs is a result of our unwillingness to fund them properly.

I watched our government spend billions on the F-22 program while I served in the Air Force. Just a couple years after the things were put into regular service and production, they shit-canned them (actual Air Force term.)

Meanwhile, sub-orbital wonders like the SR-71, which were developed decades ago and were also a perfect platform to test the scramjet engines that would literally have propelled us through space were being relegated to the boneyard in Arizona.

What happens now to decades of Ion propulsion research and technology develpment? Ion thrusters are only usable right now in space. So much for having the opportunity to test the kind of technology that could take us into the next century.

I’d go on, but I think the point has been made. If you want to be the best, if you want to lead from the front, you have to pony up the dough. Nobody, I don’t care how rich they are is going to sink enough cash into tech research that won’t be ready for development and ‘retail’ until they’re two decades in their grave.

NASA is more than spacesuits and American flags on the moon. It has always been a venue for advancing our society and reinforcing our national defense through technology. That’s worth the tax dollars.

Jul 21, 2011, 3:34pm Permalink
Robert Bennett

If people knew how much of our technology comes out of NASA ideas and spin offs I bet they would change their tune. Everything from the fire suits our firefighters wear and the smoke detectors in our homes to the cars we drive and the refrigerators in our kitchens are all loaded with NASA technology.

Jul 21, 2011, 3:53pm Permalink

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