I'm sorry, but...

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: JAG
The U.S. is in pretty bad shape financially and space missions are a luxury, so it makes sense that funding for such things is quite limited.

And the economy was in fantastic shape when Voyager was launched? If one wishes to cut "luxuries," I'm sure an auditor could find a lot more cash bleeding than would be consumed by a healthy space program.

 

[javacontour]

If the ROI is so great, then where is all the private investment?

I'm not saying it is or isn't. I'm asking why there is isn't the private investment present if the ROI is so great?

Space exploration is not the sole domain of governments. If it's such a money maker, we'll see business going there and the stocks of those companies soar.

Just as I tell those want fast food workers to open their own restaurants and start shelling out the cash, who here is personally invested in space exploration? Putting their own money where their mouth is with respect to ROI.

 

[eljefino]

For all NASAs faults they were a magnet for 8th grade kids to take math & science classes in high school and beyond.

Exploring space isn't just putting a suitcase of money in a rocket and sending it off. That money sticks around and pays engineers and creates/ continues a brain trust.

And it boggles my mind too that we used to be able to snap our fingers and create interstate highways all over the country but now we get one rusting bridge and are paralyzed to do anything about it.

 

[friendly_jacek]

Originally Posted By: eljefino

And it boggles my mind too that we used to be able to snap our fingers and create interstate highways all over the country but now we get one rusting bridge and are paralyzed to do anything about it.


Yap, history teaches us every great nations in the world eventually goes downhill. Is it going to be different this time? Why?

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: javacontour
If the ROI is so great, then where is all the private investment?

I'm not saying it is or isn't. I'm asking why there is isn't the private investment present if the ROI is so great?

Space exploration is not the sole domain of governments. If it's such a money maker, we'll see business going there and the stocks of those companies soar.

Just as I tell those want fast food workers to open their own restaurants and start shelling out the cash, who here is personally invested in space exploration? Putting their own money where their mouth is with respect to ROI.


They are. You do understand that payload to the ISS was/will be privately delivered?

The list of benefits is long and quite diverse. The amount of private money is not yet proportional to "the good old days" but it will be rather quickly I think. I for one believe strongly in the future.

 

[hattaresguy]

I don't think their is anything more important than to stretch technology threw space exploration.


Mankind always does best when its stretching for a goal.

 

[hattaresguy]

Originally Posted By: eljefino


And it boggles my mind too that we used to be able to snap our fingers and create interstate highways all over the country but now we get one rusting bridge and are paralyzed to do anything about it.


That's because of the bureaucracy that exists. You used to be able to just put shovels in the ground and go. Now you have to spend years engineering stuff and going around to a bunch of government departments to get permits.

To many officials need to put their stamp on a project and none of them work very fast.

 

[buster]

Originally Posted By: eljefino
For all NASAs faults they were a magnet for 8th grade kids to take math & science classes in high school and beyond.

Exploring space isn't just putting a suitcase of money in a rocket and sending it off. That money sticks around and pays engineers and creates/ continues a brain trust.

And it boggles my mind too that we used to be able to snap our fingers and create interstate highways all over the country but now we get one rusting bridge and are paralyzed to do anything about it.


+1

 

[buster]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: buster
Originally Posted By: d00df00d
Originally Posted By: JAG
The U.S. is in pretty bad shape financially and space missions are a luxury, so it makes sense that funding for such things is quite limited.

As intuitive as this sounds, it's just a myth. Space programs have a huge ROI (jobs, investment in private industry, breakthroughs leveraged in mainstream sectors, etc.) and cost almost nothing compared to the rest of what we spend.



Agree. We are not in as bad as shape financially as one would think, but facts don't' matter these days. Only your ideology does.



This.

The Luddites rule us now. As stated by Doodfood these programs have had a fantastic and very quantifiable benefit for the society that supported them. While we are broke, it is important to know WHY we are broke.

Bad news for the Luddites. It's not due to space exploration! By the numbers it is actually a BARGAIN!


+1

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: javacontour
If the ROI is so great, then where is all the private investment?

The ROI for a private company comes down to monetary profit, IP, and cultivation of expertise.

The ROI for a society includes monetary profit, IP, cultivation of expertise, employment rates, economic robustness, attracting human and other assets from overseas, etc.

Completely different calculus.

 

[cjcride]

The desire to explore and discover will draw all capable nations to space.

 

[hattaresguy]

Well we blew what a trillion bucks in the sandpit over the last decade. That would have been enough to put an American on Mars.

I would have very much liked to see a US astronaut on Mars planting the flag.

 

[d00df00d]

Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
Well we blew what a trillion bucks in the sandpit over the last decade. That would have been enough to put an American on Mars.

I would have very much liked to see a US astronaut on Mars planting the flag.

Amen!

 

[Cutehumor]

OP,

well I thought we would be in flying cars in 2013, but it didn't happen!

 

[javacontour]

To bring this back, when I look at the knuckleheads who share the roads with me and my family, I'm thankful that the promise of flying cars has not materialized.

Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
OP,

well I thought we would be in flying cars in 2013, but it didn't happen!

 

[gman2304]

I'm old enough to remember the space race from Sputnik to the decommissioning of the space shuttles. Great for national pride and I loved watching all the launches on TV, but looking back, I think it was a huge waste of money. It makes me wonder how much bang for the buck we got out of all that.