Re: the un-economics of space travel

From: Terrell Miller (millerto_at_bellsouth.net)
Date: 01/29/05 

Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2005 23:18:24 -0500

Nathan Gant wrote:
> ?Whenever someone brings up space travel, I am reminded of the un-economics
> of space
> exploration. It's a tremendous drain on the national budget, a bottomless
> pit.

completely untrue.

At its peak in the mid-60s NASA's budget was 3% of federal spending.
That's for a short period four decades ago.

For the rest of its history NASA has accounted for around one percent of
federal spending, year in and year out.

Or to put it more personally: *one penny* out of every tax dollar you
pay goes to NASA. That's all.

Compare that to welfare + social programs + servicing the national debt.
All those budget categories accounted in the 2003 fiscal year for *73*
cents out of every tax dollar. (The IRS includes pie charts showing the
breakout of federal income and expenditures in each year's Form 1040
instruction book).

Why are you so upset about the one penny you give to NASA? And what,
exactly and precisely, do you think that one penny would accomplish if
it were spent instead on social services? Along with the other 73 cents
that already goes to "our problems down here"? 

-- 
Terrell Miller
millerto@bellsouth.net
"Every gardener knows nature's random cruelty"
-Paul Simon RE: George Harrison

Relevant Pages

  • Re: last time the shuttle made re-entry
    ... What a nasty piece of shit this is! ... space travel in general, will be nonexistent (except by those easily ... about NASA losing the mars lander - lots of stuff misreported and a lot ... as well as being rather nasty in his commentary. ...
    (sci.space.policy)
  • How far into space could we be...?
    ... socialist alternate history. ... This is the current section on space travel, ... Kosmorg oversees the Moon and Mars ... even less funding than NASA. ...
    (rec.arts.sf.science)
  • How far into space could we be...?
    ... socialist alternate history. ... This is the current section on space travel, ... Kosmorg oversees the Moon and Mars ... even less funding than NASA. ...
    (rec.arts.sf.science)
  • Re: NASA IS SCREWED, thats a quote by rutan
    ... >mentality against the popularization of space travel. ... Granted NASA's reaction to Tito was completly off the wall, ... I am a little concerned SS1 has a bit of "go fever" behind it now. ...
    (sci.space.shuttle)
Quantcast