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This is a ridiculous suggestion (and post). So sci-fi readers / watchers are the ones most interested in the space program? Businesses have made a fortune selling by-products of the space program including freeze dried food products, medical devices, computer technology, advanced materials, water purification technology, micro lasers, engine lubricants to name just a few. See this detailed list
for more products and benefits.

A tax on these types of products would generate a lot more money than a tax on the next Larry Niven novel.

First off, NASA has produced thousands of spinoffs, and I guarantee you use several of them every day.

But even aside from that, NASA isn't a corporation and not everything should be run as one. You need some "blue-sky" research that isn't focused on a specific goal. You don't know what you'll find, but you'll find something.

Now, incompetence and dumb mistakes (why didn't they use a second intererometer to check?) need to be dealt with, but overall I'd keep NASA. What we really need is some revisions in space law so that private companies can do more space research and run their own launches. Then we get the best of both worlds (no pun intended).

What will we do when there is more copper, gold, iron, coal, etc. in our landfills then there is in the ground, as the temperature keeps rising higher and higher, when there are less than 100 billion trees left in the whole world? Are we to pin all our hopes on a few scientists enabeling us to mine asteroids and distant planets and colonizing space?

Science gave us the ability to recycle. Recycling is vital to any long term space mission. It is likely more recycling technologies will be developed from the space program.

Technology only trades one problem for another. Because in our society of specialists you do not see people mining coal and transporting to power stations to burn for your electricity, it is easy to forget this.

Alternative power sources are also vital to space missions. Solar Energy was pioneered by NASA.

Social improvements can make life more enjoyable for humanity than technological advancements under capitalism, that the people in affluent nations can only enjoy. Would you want to live in a brutal dictatorship with high technology, where the technology would be used to make telescreens to spy on you, or a more human society that is less advanced?

I would rather live in a society where I won't die of a broken limb from a simple infection. I would rather live in a society where dictatorship is obsolete. Technology provides communication that allows the masses, the true power in this world, to unite against any such form of government. We've existed for millions of years without science and got nowhere, socially or otherwise. It was technology that changed us from club-swinging apes to who we are today. The space program is a driving force of technology.

Why do we bother sending people to space when there are so many problems on earth?... Terrorist attacks against America, terrorist attacks against Israel, unemployment, economy problems, homelessness, bad education, health care problems, etc...

Maybe to remind the world that there is a lot more to our existance than out (mostly) petty quarrels. Maybe to inspire a new generation to strive for a better education. Mabey to conduct zero-g research that will indirectly lead to inexpensive soulutions to many health issues. There have been countless spinoffs from the space program and there will be many more. I think it is a great way to spend that small fraction of our budget.

Well for a few reasons. First of all experiments in space yield insights into science that can be applied on Earth to improve the quality of life. These so-called "NASA Spinoffs" include Scratch Resistant Lenses, Athletic Shoes, Laser Agioplasty, and better brakes. For a more detailed list you can look at NASA Spinoffs or The NASA Spinoff Database.

Also, if we can manage to make getting to the asteriod belt affordable, there's a HUGE untapped natural resource that could be very useful.

All in all, I'd say it's worth a lot more than the "one penny out of every dollar in the U.S. federal budget" that we're spending now.

Yes, we really need this stuff.

Going to pluto has many cool points associatited besides actually getting to pluto.

In the process we will need to discover more about how the human body can tolerate 0g for extended periods of time, including muscle and bone research, which has great impact on earthbound condtions and diseases such as multiple schlerosis, osteoperosis, and other degenerative diseases.

We will have to discover more efficient and advanced power sources, energy and material recycling processes, and better insulations, materials, and armors.

A small sample of some stuff we have because of NASA

Some examples from that page: "Dustbuster, shock-absorbing helmets, home security systems, smoke detectors, flat panel televisions, high-density batteries, trash compactors, food packaging and freeze-dried technology, cool sportswear, sports bras, hair styling appliances, fogless ski goggles, self-adjusting sunglasses, composite golf clubs, hang gliders, art preservation, and quartz crystal timing equipment."

Where else would we have all this research and development, if not NASA?

Sure private companies might be big enough, now, to do so... but private companies also change, adjust, and re-organize... and NASA is here as long as we believe in it and support it.

NASA, and science research in general, on the surface may seem like a money sink with no results; like particle accelerators, but on the other hand we get superconductors, hardened electronics, insulated electronics, etc. A lot of this stuff is really hot, interesting, and a product of the space program!


-AS