Really?

[pimplyteen]

20 billion for a rocket to another planet. We've destroyed this one, so lets send a load of junk to another.

[pimplyteen]

20 billions worth of pollution in seconds.

[ToraToraTora]

Dave, I refer you to my answer at 10:49.

[davebro]

and it all stemmed from the desire to efficiently deliver death and destruction to the other half of the world's population!

[douglas9401]

There's little point in arguing the point, not because it is easy, but because it is haaard to get the message through.

[ichkeria]

I tell you what Igor, those caves look jolly inviting ;-)

[ToraToraTora]

Quite right doug, I'll leave them to their little lives full of things that came from space exploration that they are so clueless about. They say ignorance is bliss, well dave and pimply must be very happy.

[davebro]

It must be something in the water - folks just can't have a civilised discussion without resorting to personal insults.

(or it's just become an unfortunate habit!)

[ToraToraTora]

Dave: " folks just can't have a civilised discussion without resorting to personal insults." - oh you mean intellectual gems like:
"The worlds most expensive firework. Hope the dam thing goes up in smoke before it gets off the ground. "
" As Arnie said "Get your ass to Mars, get your ass to Mars."
"oh yeah - I forgot about Teflon! "
..you sowed the wind.

[pimplyteen]

Its not been to many months since the Americans chucked stones at China for their space madness. So what does America do send the biggest and most expensive bit of junk up there and create even more pollution and scrap flying above our heads.

[ToraToraTora]

^^^ more heavy weight intellectual debating!?

[HeavensToBetsy]

NASA’s budget for 2021 (the latest year for which I can find the details) was $23.3 million. That’s less than the amount Americans spend on pizza each year ($38bn) and significantly less than the USA’s 2021 defence budget ($801bn).

Nevertheless, $38bn is a colossal amount of money and it’s only right to ask if it’s worth it.

TTT has already mentioned some of the spinoffs. It is estimated (see link below) that for every dollar NASA has invested in the space programme, between $7 and $14 has been returned to the US economy. And the benefits aren’t simply financial. The iconic “Blue Marble” image of the Earth taken from Apollo 17 nearly fifty years ago made us realise how fragile and precious our planet is.

I remember as a child being woken up to watch the first moon landing; it inspired me and countless others to dare to dream. The US Senator Robert Wilson, when asked to justify US spending on science (specifically the Fermilab particle accelerator), famously answered

“It has only to do with the respect with which we regard one another, the dignity of men, our love of culture. It has to do with are we good painters, good sculptors, great poets? I mean all the things we really venerate in our country and are patriotic about. It has nothing to do directly with defending our country except to make it worth defending.”

NASA 2021 budget:

https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/updated_fy_2021_spend_plan_june_2021.pdf

USA annual expenditure on pizza:

https://blog.slicelife.com/how-much-pizza-average-american-eat-year/

NASA defence budget 2021:

https://executivegov.com/articles/u-s-defense-budget-2022-how-much-does-the-united-states-spend-on-its-defense-budget/
NASA return on investment:

https://www.21stcentech.com/money-spent-nasa-not-waste/
Robert Wilson quotation:

https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/201804/history.cfm

[davebro]

You just can't bear to see someone disagree with you (however right or wrong) and leave it without descending to personal insults.

Am I right? I'm not wrong.

[ToraToraTora]

A gallant effort HTB but I fear it will we washed away by the tidal wave of ignorance on this thread.

[pimplyteen]

Will human kind destroy themselves, its looking very much like it. They turn to the general public to help ease the suffering of Pakistan at the same time burn billions of pounds getting to nowhere.

[ToraToraTora]

Dave: "You just can't bear to see someone disagree with you " - not true, if it's well argued and reasoned but this is just the usual intellectual pigmy, cost in isolation, idiocy. You disregard the overwhelming evidence that the money is returned many times over. Have a read of some of the links etc from the HTB post above. Maybe you'll see it's money well spent.

[davebro]

and the personal insults bit?

[ToraToraTora]

what insults? Just labelling what I observe.

[pimplyteen]

People just do not understand that we have the most expensive frying pans ever produced in the shops. And if you look at the weight/ size of the Americans it looks like they use them on a daily basis. :0)

[Paigntonian]

I think it's fascinating, exciting and potentially worthwhile.

[ToraToraTora]

12:07, with every word you dig yourself deeper into your pit of ignorance.